Then the Rains Came
By John Herlihy

The wind heard as a rattle
Whispering nothing but tattle
Into parched noses and ears
Water found only in the eyes
Looking to the heavens thru tears
Then the rain comes down in sheets
Echoing the thirsty goat’s bleats
Rains made for this desolate land
That has nothing to offer but sand
Rain forever longed for
Now flowing in abundance
Filling the desert’s circumference
The flood waters rush unattended
Over all the grasses, roots and shrubs
They drink in the glorious nectar
Right down to the foaming suds.

Flying insects rise up in a swarm
The lizards scatter with the turtles
Their hearts now full and warm
The goats run in circles
Their fresh milk tastes like grass
Life flourishes in this dry land
It weeps like the sky
With such bounty at hand
The rains still fall
And all is well in this world
The scorpion’s tail still a scimitar
Myrtle still grows between the rocks.
The lonely goatherd utters a sigh
That turns into a glorious cry
That matches the soaring ibex
Flying in the rain deep into the sky.