I am still on the road, having water-rafted through the Tara Canyon in Bosnia, walked the freedom trail in Boston, visited Broadway in New York, and the beaches of Miami. But nothing compared to the recent experience of sighting a rainbow from the balcony of my apartment in Miami. See the poem below.

RAINBOW ON THE BAY

By John Herlihy

The bay once dressed in vivid blue;
Now has the face of somber gray.
The bay once quiet as early morning dew;
Now grows angry like an animal stalking prey.

The bay water once placid as spun glass,
With not a ripple to be seen in this glorious mass.
Now full of ruffles on its furrowed brow,
Turning the turgid waters into a fierce scowl.

The clouds overhead gather the sound of thunder,
Ready to break the silence of the morning asunder.
The clouds brushstroke the bay in the darkest spray,
Soaking the surface waters with a most somber display.

Soon, the makings of a rainbow begin to emerge,
Filling my heart with unexpected emotions that surge.
One expects the colors to suddenly burst into song,
The magnificent sight echoes as a bell sounding a gong.

People speak of omens when nature’s beauty makes an appearance
Stirring the imagination with its inspiring coherence.
I wish I could sail under the rainbow’s shimmering ark,
Reaching the other side to hear the messages of the angels hark.

Alas, the disappearing rainbow is but a figment of the mind,
Stirring up wondrous mystery that is unique of its kind.
I hope to capture some of the mystique of its blessing,
Before it disappears with no further need of guessing.

But wait! Is that a double rainbow invading my eyes,
Intense and vivid, leaving me helpless in surprise?
Let me reach out and touch them both before they disappear,
Misty and mystical into the heavenly sphere.

Good-bye nature’s child dressed in colored dew,
Leave behind some of your mystery for the selected few.
Back to never-neverland other entities to woo,
While I remain behind and bid a sorrowful adieu.