Raindrops, by Lewis Thompson

·       The
following are my favorite images and impressions recalled by the thought of
rain—
·       A
steady rain beating down on the leaves of a deciduous forest.
·       Rain
pattering on the roof of my tent.
·       Hard
rain on a tin roof.
·       Catching
raindrops with my tongue.
·       The
tiny craters made by rain on a smooth, sandy beach.
·       That
brief, fleeting moment when I must turn on the car’s wipers or else miss seeing
a hazard in the road ahead.
·       That
first drop of cold rain as it dashes against my bald head and runs thrillingly
down behind my ear.
·       Rain
on my eyelashes.
·       Rushing
to bring the clothes in off the line before they get soaked.
·       The
indescribable thrill of that first clap of thunder.
·       The
smell of the air after a gully-washer.
·       Sliding
under the bedcovers with the window shade fully up and lightning flashing
outside.
·       The
way the world looks so freshly scrubbed after a thunderstorm.
·       Carefree
lovers kissing in the rain at night.
·       Cats
running for shelter.
·       Dogs
shaking off the water.
·       Me
cleaning up the mess my dog has made in shaking off the water.
·       The
sound of water dripping off the eaves after the storm has passed.
·       The
first rays of sunlight piercing the clouds after the storm.
·       Catching
raindrops in my mouth and complaining when they land in my eye.
·       The
eager children who can’t wait to go outside into the freshly washed world.
·       Driving
from Winter Park to Empire on U.S. 40 with out-of-state friends and seeing a
double rainbow near Berthoud Pass.
·       Standing
on our balcony with my beloved Laurin watching a thunderstorm roll in from the
west washing across Cheeseman Park.
© 4 Apr 2016 
About
the Author
 

I came to the
beautiful state of Colorado out of my native Kansas by way of Michigan, the
state where I married and had two
children while working as an engineer for the Ford Motor Company. I was married
to a wonderful woman for 26 happy years and suddenly realized that life was
passing me by. I figured that I should make a change, as our offspring were
basically on their own and I wasn’t getting any younger. Luckily, a very
attractive and personable man just happened to be crossing my path at that
time, so the change-over was both fortuitous and smooth.
Soon after, I
retired and we moved to Denver, my husband’s home town. He passed away after 13
blissful years together in October of 2012. I am left to find a new path to
fulfillment. One possibility is through writing. Thank goodness, the SAGE
Creative Writing Group was there to light the way.