i lost time to the rain
its singing in my ears
its beating in my chest

and now all i have
left to write about
are the errant drops

strays that have finally
found their way home
to ever-thirsty earth

the leaves
might amplify
the notes

make each drop
sound deeper
than it is

but even
without them

there would be
no mistaking
the music

for anything
but life

windows are wide open
and i can hear
the dull roar of the ocean
falling from the sky
-illions of separated drops
scrambling to reunite
in the innumerable dips
and valleys and potholes
of my inner-city neighborhood

can’t even tell it happened
yesterday until you
notice how everything is
cleaner shinier the plants
even are a little greener
and you turn just so and
catch the smell of damp
earth and pavement still
lingering in the chill night air

seems those
silvery clouds
in the sky
this afternoon
weren’t simply
for show