Poetry Blog no 196 And Softly Falls the Summer Rain

AND SOFTLY FALLS THE SUMMER RAIN

 
   Poetry often tries to speak through images and sounds to the heart, rather than simply

 making a prosaic statement. In this it shares a little of the nature of music which, in its 

purely instrumental form, can conjure feelings and even a suggestion of images for us 

without having any specific prosaic content. This poem was written in summer 

in south-east Queensland. Summer there can get intense if it goes without rain or cloud. 

Here I have tried to use a natural occurrence to convey something of the general quality 

of "blessing". 
      In form the poem has three stanzas, each having  six lines of iambic tetrameter-

 unstressed, stressed syllables four times- And softly falls the summer rain. 

 
     The Lilly-Pilly is the common name for an Australian berry-bearing bush-

 Lilly Pilly trees are native to southern Asia and Madagascar. The highest level of diversity

 in Lilly Pilly varieties occur in Malaysia and Australia. The trees thrive on volcanic

 soil and deep sandy soils throughout tropical and subtropical coastal rain forest regions. 

The berries are a standard bush food staple and are considered a valuable famine food 

when other food sources are scarce

. https://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Lilly_Pilly_Berries_9395.php

 

     AND SOFTLY FALLS THE SUMMER RAIN

And softly falls the summer rain.
The Lilly-Pilly waves wet leaves.
Far palms are darker on the greyness
of sky wide-tempered by deep cloud
than in the glare and heat of flare
that flames from blue... and cooled is air. 

And softly falls the summer rain.
The rising grass has gained white pearls
and snails are venturing abroad.
And cars, occasional, outside
add squelch and hiss to growl and glide.
And ringed by drops, street gutters run.

And after days of furnace sun
and drifts of smoke from heat-hazed hills,
like gentle time with wisdom's gain,
inspired after drought-dry bane,
like calm of balm on yearning's pain,
so softly falls the summer rain.