O at the Edges

Musings on poetry, language, perception, numbers, food, and anything else that slips through the cracks.

In Praise of Rain

Posted on September 30, 2014 by robert okaji

In Praise of Rain

Which is not to say lightning or hail.
Sometimes I forget to open the umbrella

until my glasses remind me: Wake up, you’re
wet! If scarcity breeds

value, what is a thunderhead worth
in July? A light shower in August?

Even spreadsheets can’t tell us.

69 thoughts on “In Praise of Rain”

samuelbartholomew on September 30, 2014 at 4:51 pm said:

I love this! Keep it up!

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 5:02 pm said:
  
  Thank you. I’ll try.
  
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Ponder on September 30, 2014 at 5:51 pm said:

Gotta love the rain (I’m in Seattle)!

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 6:17 pm said:
  
  I’m not sure my love extends to that much rain! 🙂
  
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  - Ponder on September 30, 2014 at 9:33 pm said:
    
    It’s not as much as outsiders think–and, do you remember the Perry Como song, “The Bluest Skies You’ve Ever Seen Are In Seattle”…..? (I think it was Perry, I could be mistaken..)
    
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  - robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 5:31 am said:
    
    Actually, I remember it from the 60s tv series “Here Come the Brides.” Now I feel ancient.
    
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willow1945 on September 30, 2014 at 6:18 pm said:

I like this, especially those last 4 lines–no way to measure the value. We got some slight rain here in northern CA, several days ago–what a thrill!

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 8:06 pm said:
  
  Some things can’t be quantified, yet it seems we’re being pushed to quantify everything (at least in my work field). We had rain here in Central Texas last week. It was lovely!
  
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downbythebrook on September 30, 2014 at 7:05 pm said:

We get tons of rain in Britain, but in July it was hot and dry for weeks and my garden was sooo thirsty..I was really wanting rain and one day the heat broke and it rained. It was a relief! Usually us Brits are tired of rain!

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 8:07 pm said:
  
  Here in Texas we use the alternate spelling for relief: R A I N. 🙂
  
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raulconde001 on September 30, 2014 at 7:19 pm said:

The rain is the reason we’re alive.

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 8:11 pm said:
  
  And when it doesn’t come, we certainly feel it!
  
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pi314chron on September 30, 2014 at 7:22 pm said:

Delightful, Bob! But what is rain?

Ron

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 8:08 pm said:
  
  I hear it’s wet. But I’m frequently wrong.
  
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akeem54 on September 30, 2014 at 7:41 pm said:

That’s is Calabar for you with precision.

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robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 8:12 pm said:

Perhaps one day I’ll be able to visit Calabar and experience it for myself!

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Wabi Sabi Photography on September 30, 2014 at 8:22 pm said:

Love raIn. Wonderful photo, wonderful poem.

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- robert okaji on September 30, 2014 at 8:34 pm said:
  
  Yes, rain provides so much. Thank you. I wish I could claim having taken the photos, but they’re from morguefile.com
  
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john flanagan on September 30, 2014 at 9:13 pm said:

Pithy and poignant, i like this very much

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 5:27 am said:
  
  Thanks, John.
  
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amoafowaa on September 30, 2014 at 10:05 pm said:

Some hope for the journey.

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 5:27 am said:
  
  Yes, thank you.
  
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10000hoursleft on October 1, 2014 at 1:26 am said:

I think a spreadsheet could be used to estimate its value- variables being water source, distance to water source, period in drought, El Niño approach, climate change policy or lack thereof in the region, degree of wastage in domestic/industrial/agricultural use, quantity exported/imported inherent in agriculture and manufacturing and production of services etc…then once you work out its value, multiply by infinity. Nice poem!

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 5:31 am said:
  
  Perhaps I’ll try. Ha! Thank you.
  
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Eliza on October 1, 2014 at 2:20 am said:

Mmmm, what is that first fat drop on cracked drought-stricken soil worth?

I love the rain because it means I have a legitimate excuse to stay inside. I love the rainy season, just about monsoonal here. Thunderstorms every night.

I just don’t like getting wet.

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 5:33 am said:
  
  Ah, petrichor! Nothing like it.
  
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Sarah Elizabeth Lane on October 1, 2014 at 7:58 am said:

This is precisely the succinct type of poetry-writing I aspire to. Love it. Great job.

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 4:49 pm said:
  
  Thank you for your kind words!
  
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jhanagan2014 on October 1, 2014 at 11:12 am said:

120 likes are well deserved! You write with gentle beauty, or as cummings put it: “Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands.”

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 4:55 pm said:
  
  I appreciate your kindness. That Cummings poem has some wonderful lines: “…as when the heart of this flower imagines / the snow carefully everywhere descending.” Thank you for reminding me of it.
  
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Catalina George on October 1, 2014 at 5:20 pm said:

I got to your blog through your like left to one of my posts, which I thank you for.
Liked the poem, its philosophical simplicity made me think of a haiku, while at the same time it has the tone of a casual chat between people who briefly meet and do the most British thing of all: talk about the weather!

As a Romanian living for three years in the UK; I have enjoyed this summer the most: hot, dry, sunny. But now even I start missing rain and the overwhelming embrace of autumn.

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 5:47 pm said:
  
  I appreciate your visit and comments. Thank you.
  
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Mike on October 1, 2014 at 6:37 pm said:

You’ve approached this from a novel angle – nice work.

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- robert okaji on October 2, 2014 at 5:34 pm said:
  
  Thanks, Mike.
  
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Touch2Touch on October 1, 2014 at 7:22 pm said:

Delightful!
(Spreadsheets never could tell me anything anyhow. Nice to see it in poetry.)

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- robert okaji on October 1, 2014 at 7:43 pm said:
  
  Thank you. Spreadsheets can be useful, but they seldom tell the entire story.
  
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AbbyNduta(ofso) on October 1, 2014 at 9:33 pm said:

Wow…I love this poems…and the images too…good Job Robert…keep it up…

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- robert okaji on October 2, 2014 at 5:35 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Abby.
  
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shawnworth on October 1, 2014 at 10:22 pm said:

It’s pouring here right now. Perfect timing that I happened upon this.

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- robert okaji on October 2, 2014 at 5:36 pm said:
  
  Timing is everything…
  
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C on October 1, 2014 at 11:54 pm said:

Scarcity does breed value, what a lovely way of putting it. As another Pacific Northwesterner, I feel the same but about clear skies!

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- robert okaji on October 2, 2014 at 5:38 pm said:
  
  I love gloomy, overcast days, but probably because they’re limited around here. Dunno how I’d feel about a majority of days without sun.
  
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Poetsmith on October 3, 2014 at 12:54 pm said:

Lovely title, refreshing and nice poem! 🙂 Kind regards,Iris

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- robert okaji on October 4, 2014 at 8:45 am said:
  
  Thank you, Iris.
  
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Vernon on October 3, 2014 at 8:51 pm said:

I walked miles in pouring rain because of my addiction to drugs. I’ve been clean for over four years. Now when I see rain sometime I praise in tears of gratitude remembering where I come from. Thanks for reminding me how spiritual rain is.

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- robert okaji on October 4, 2014 at 8:46 am said:
  
  Thank you, Vernon. And congratulations on four years!
  
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Ed on October 6, 2014 at 5:16 am said:

This one steals up on you, makes me smile with pleasure. Beautiful economy (no pun intended) with the words.

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- robert okaji on October 6, 2014 at 6:32 pm said:
  
  It was an enjoyable exercise in brevity. Thank you!
  
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pscurrens on October 6, 2014 at 7:37 am said:

We are all water at the heart of our very being, and rain seems to me to be the most majestic example of the element.

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- robert okaji on October 6, 2014 at 6:33 pm said:
  
  You’ll find no argument here.
  
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Dana Ganić on October 6, 2014 at 2:45 pm said:

Lovely 🙂

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- robert okaji on October 6, 2014 at 6:34 pm said:
  
  Thank you, Dana.
  
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shrijagannatha on October 7, 2014 at 11:16 am said:

Your like has kept my spirits high. And not to mention the wonderful musings which have made my mind muse further. Thanks for Letting me stumble upon your Paradise of a blog.

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- robert okaji on October 13, 2014 at 4:46 pm said:
  
  Let’s keep musing along!
  
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j.ajabad (1canvas1soul) on October 8, 2014 at 11:34 am said:

Wonderful photos accompany a witty poem! 😀

Thank you for visiting my blog: Community Hub (Canvas Alcove forums) and liking my most recent post “A Poem’s Identity….”!!

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- robert okaji on October 8, 2014 at 8:20 pm said:
  
  Thanks very much!
  
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agostinaminini on October 9, 2014 at 9:22 pm said:

You are the author of these enlightening poems? I’m impressed! You have talent… Keep on writing. I wanna read more!

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- robert okaji on October 13, 2014 at 4:47 pm said:
  
  Thank you. Keep on reading!
  
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E.M. Mekonnen on October 12, 2014 at 1:23 pm said:

If rain was traded as a commodity, would weather forecasters be insider traders?

Sweet poetry. Thanks for sharing it with us.

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- robert okaji on October 13, 2014 at 4:47 pm said:
  
  But they’re so frequently wrong! 🙂
  
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alifemoment on October 12, 2014 at 4:51 pm said:

Love this poem, really well done, full of meaning, keep it up 🙂

Best wishes,
Alice

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- robert okaji on October 13, 2014 at 4:41 pm said:
  
  Thank you. The rain speaks…
  
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samgalimore on October 15, 2014 at 7:24 am said:

Makes you want to go run through some light showers.

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- robert okaji on October 16, 2014 at 12:11 pm said:
  
  My present situation requires a languid limp, but I agree!
  
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harmonioustew on October 24, 2014 at 6:13 pm said:

I’m a fan of snow, too. We don’t get enough of it here in Seoul, and when it rains–which is mainly in monsoon season, it literally does POUR–although, as in many places, we’ve been getting less rain lately. Why am I saying “we”? I’m not even Korean! Clearly, I’ve been here too long. Thanks for the wonderful poem, and for liking my blog post.

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- robert okaji on October 25, 2014 at 3:18 pm said:
  
  I like the idea of snow, but I’d probably reconsider if we actually got any.
  
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kaytisweetlandrasmussen83 on October 26, 2014 at 2:15 pm said:

Perhaps one day it will rain here!

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Saloni on November 15, 2015 at 8:58 am said:

Oh, beautiful!

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- robert okaji on November 15, 2015 at 10:13 am said:
  
  Thank you. You’re very kind.
  
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