Huge, dark blue-bottomed clouds
cluster together in summertime's sky,
huddle like giddy performers
anxiously awaiting their turn
at a scheduled recital.
Warm, rushing breezes approach swiftly
announcing the sudden change in weather.
Birds skip hurriedly,
scrambling to seek shelter.
Leaves scatter in swirls,
settling near cracked sidewalks.
An ominous silence fills humid air;
the first cloudburst begins her show.
Quarter-sized raindrops pelt heavily,
loudly on pavement and rooftops,
soaking shingles, sidewalks,
and porch steps.
This immediate shower stops abruptly,
as another temperate wind formally
escorts the gray cloud off the sky's busy stage.
Quickly a bright, well-lit sky appears
as if a spotlight highlights the next cloud's act.
The second cloudburst, introduced by a welcoming wind,
begins its performance, as the final cloud waits patiently.
Small, shy raindrops
cover grass and trees in this rendition,
tenderly caressing leaves, twigs, and branches.
This soothing shower stops unexpectedly
as a tepid wind speedily assists its exit.
In the final routine,
swerving, wind-driven plip-plops
saturate terra cotta pots
and undersides of young flower petals.
Drenched Bradford Pear and River Birch trees
boldly offer a standing ovation
for superb summertime showers,
as limp leaves sway in unison~
dancing in the final warm and rushing wind~
a reminder that the day's cloud performances
have finally ended.
jtl02
