Thursday, July 5, 2007

After the rain the sun, after the sun the rain.



It started slowly. A quiet and then a splash. A drop falling on a leaf and the leaf flicked like a lizard tail. Then more, still light, whispers of water. Later the sky grew dark and the raindrops grew heavy and the leaves on the trees danced in the falling rain, a frenzied dance to the music of storm. The wind blew and the spears of rain began to slant across the land. Rain washed over the roof like waves in the wind and we curled inside and waited, warm, together. It played a loud lullaby over the tiles and we dreamed of being ships cats as the wind shook and rolled around the house. At the window the world became fragmented by raindrops. Still the sky was heavy with water. Night and day we saw no moon, no stars. Water ran down the path, turning it to a babbling stream. The salt wind burned and ripped the leaves from the ash tree. All of the mice stayed secret in burrows and the swallows grew hungry, trapped by the weight of falling water, unable to fly.
And then it stopped. The clouds rolled away to show a sky washed to a sparkling bright blue. In the sunshine the world looked fresh and the roses again dropped perfume to fill the garden. Martha found shelter from the tail of the wind in a sunshine patch on the blue bench and slept. Sleeping outside is always better.
We were rested and the mice were careless with hunger.



9 comments:

Leslie Hawes said...

You are a brilliant wordsmith. "...careless with hunger." Excellent.

Daisy said...

I wish I could sleep outside. Especially after the rain washes everything clean. But I do not think my pink sleeping bag is waterproof.

Kitikata-san said...

I love looking at Martha because she looks so much like me. When she sleeps on the blue bench, she looks a lot like me. Pretty Martha.

Celia Hart said...

I came across you blog while meandering around the blogosphere - as one charmed by our late and remarkable ginger Charlie-cat and now enchanted by our new sleek ginger prince - I'm following your ginger threesome's aventures with great pleasure. Your photos are beautiful.

Celia
every artist needs a studio cat (or 2 .... or 3 ... or more)

The Cat Realm said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Just Sharlene and the Spice Cats said...

The Spice Cats never seen the rain. Mmmm....I wonder how they will react if they do.

Paula Bowles said...

This mouse is feeling careless with hunger too... just poking my nose out from my burrow to say 'beautiful words'! :o)

Stumbled across your blog, hope you don't mind me popping in!

Paula Bowles said...

ooh, thanks for the advice re. hungry illustrators. Us mice have a nose for chocolate, it's often seen amongst the pencils, paint and paper on paula's desk.

The Ginger Darlings said...

Just to let everyone know, the advice given to the mouse woman, Paula, was one we often give to Her. Chocolate always seems to have a soporific effect on Her nerves when She is getting Her brushes in a twist, and when She is hungry. Chocolate mice are often the best thing, and Maltesers and Belgian truffles and Smarties and and and............