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.