~
neither of us were keen to
venture out in such dire weather
but there were letters to post
and if anything, the rain was
worsening from lazy drizzle
to a fine dense shower that
mother was fond of saying
was the ‘rain that wets you’
~ after the post office
to reward our endeavour
the rain eased slightly so we
carried on around the lake
which had recently been in spate
but was now just richly coloured
the dull grey of a vicar’s overcoat
the ambivalent sky also offering
no sign of promise
~ picking our steps carefully
along the puddled path
we at last found something
to cheer the dour day
a stand of golden cornus
danced along the raised bank
a pantomime chorus line that
stopped us in our muddy tracks
begging for a photograph,
~ so there we stood in the gloom
sunshine on our upturned faces
as the ‘rain that wets you’
once again betrayed us creeping
across our sodden shoulders,
a cynical pat on the back
*
© Graham R Sherwood 2/24
grahamrichardsherwood.co.uk 