Early Morning Darkness
there’s soft, pattering rain
striking cold glass windows
winter, calling again
Winds whisper gently
“You need this”.
Soils will soak it in
hold it
for summer’s plants
to gain
and surge
to harvests plenty
Gray light yields
more gray and black
leafless trees
etched in ink
road lines all laid out
shining strips across the fields
light poles straight and tall
stern, it is
this gray and black
But all of us are knowing
we’re but a tiny way
from blazing white profusion
we’ll snooze a little longer
Waiting for
a quiet time
when rain has called a halt
then we’ll feed the cats
and claim the day
in luxury perusing
papers, books, and antique malls
a movie if we’re choosing
The gray today
is nature’s way
of layering a painting
Tis only priming
don’t you see
not finished landscape coming
Lin 11/04
Waiting for Rain
some weeks with little rain
the sky darkened in the west
Rows of corn and soybeans stand
wait
vulnerable
No choice have they
on weather serves
they simply, purely, wait
With me and friends
oh we talk about
chew eschew
wait also
But we watch the sky
ponder the clouds
check the radars and the net
Our churches join to pray
daily, we do too
and wait
Lin 05/05
Scattered Thunderstorms
the soybeans barely grow
cracks appear in the parched soil
We know, we sense
their mindless cry for water
The weatherfolk make their commentaries
about the lack of rain
the market masters spin their webs
and make their largest gains
but the farmer and his family
look to the skies in vain
“I need rain.”
His savings are all out there
in seed and fuel and plant food
in machines and labor out there
waiting to see what comes
For some, their lives are out there
there is no other plan
no crop, no money, no farm next year
“I need rain”, says he…
they know their helpless state
no politician makes it rain
Simply God, knows what’s at stake
and moves, wonders to perform
The stars align, the oceans roar
the thunder and the lightning come
but rain, so welcome,
is what we pray for
two inches!
Selah
Drought
study the sky
hoping, thinking: Rain
Seeing naught but blue
from north to south
east to west and
high as eye can see
Not today
the message says
will rain, gentle rain
give drink to plants and me
we’ll have to wait
The timings not ours
we control it not
in any way or form
it’s but our lot
to watch
to wait
to know
His eye is on the sparrow
I know He watches me
to see what I will do
how I will act responding
to challenges built, created ‘in’
the world that does surround us
reveals a plan
created beauty and complexity
discovery unlimited in creation
limited only by my and our uncovering
We build a dam
and send the water
to flood the fields and grow
plants in deserts
food abundant
We study all the plants
and codify, modify,
bend to our current purpose
We fertilize, we chemical
we fan the genes to marvel
what we’ve ‘created’
(really discover)
only to come back
To watch the sky
my plants and I
to hoping
thinking
rain
Lin 06/05
A Summer Passing
with scant rain coming
drizzles and dew
and those not often
the warm sun drying
soil and plants
Forecasts promising
but rain not happening
the days turn into weeks
while farm folks watch
and farm folks pray
and folks with yards and gardens
use their sprinklers often
then they watch too
for signs of rains
and note the forecasts promising
Thirty percent, forty percent
fifty and sixty too
still not much happens
and the soil dries further
the plants begin to wither
I on mower
watched the skies begin to darken
we talked to God
and kept one eye
to wait and see what happened
First a sprinkle
then big splashing drops
(good omen, to be sure)
then finally heavens opened
and like a blessed shower bath
waves of rain poured down
Wet, but not caring,
I headed for shelter
as wife headed for the porch swing
The rain kept up
as did our thanksgiving
and soon the puddles formed
first time in weeks, no months
we’d seen the puddles
oh what joy we felt!
Wife sat and swung
while warm tears ran
thanks and happiness flowed
Of course we hugged
and thanked some more
Farmers, nature, and God
living close
knowing each other
happy to be alive
and see the rain
smell the rain
feel the rain
again
Lin 07/05 A half inch…
Thunder Rumbles
but shies away
somehow having lost its way
to my front step
my whole farm
Its sister rain
is hiding too
as thunder teases us
raindrops fall
other places
succoring thirsty plants
How does this work?
we are led to ponder
the pathways thunder takes
the byways rain does course
watch
and wait for rain
What’s in this mystery
created within
about the ways of rain
why does it fall, and not
on very certain places
Are we to think
we can direct
the great grand forces of nature?
Indeed, it brings us back
to “What is man, that Thou are mindful of him?”
Drought summer 2005