A Warm Summer's Rain

The air is filled with the scent of Mother's Lilacs. I sit cross legged in the grass, my eyes closed, drinking in the fragrance. The warmth of the day is mixed with moments of cooler breezes dancing through the trees and skipping over the fields of long grass like waves. I take a deep breath, and sigh as I detect the crisp, unmistakable smell of rain in the air. I open my eyes, and in the distance I see the poplars turning the silvery backs of their leaves to the wind, rustling softly as the wind teases them.

In the sky the blue is slowly disappearing, as soft clouds creep in, fluffy and white at their tops where they are brilliant in the sun, darkening towards the bottom where they carry their cargo. As I stand, the first drops begin to fall, silently, softly, shimmering like diamonds in the sunlight before a cloud drifts over the sun. They multiply, drop by drop,until a steady yet effortless shower is falling. I turn my face to the drops and breath the freshness. Around me the world looks renewed as grass and leaves take on a whole new, brighter colour as the rain wets them.

I am barefoot, and I dance slowly in the grass, feeling it's wetness under my feet, while the warm rain refreshes me. Then my feet lead me off the grass, onto the soft gravel drive, and I make my way along the cooled ground. Along the way I stoop to pickup sparkling white stones and drop them in my pocket; and gather pink and gray ones for later use.

To the bottom of the drive, then along the gravel road, picking my way between the sharper rocks, I reach the stream where it trickles out of the woods and glides slowly under the road. The raindrops are dancing on the water, a myriad of ripples dotting it's surface. I sit lazily and watch, not minding that I am now soaked to the skin, tossing my collection of pebbles one by one into the water, listening to the soft “plunk” as they disappear, watching the spreading circles they leave behind.

The clouds move on, and for an instant the sun peeks through again, and the air is filled with sparkles, and the grass is shining in the light. Above me I see the soft hues of a rainbow crowning the sky. For now, I am content in this beauty, another peaceful hour with nature, painted on the canvas of my memory.