Preponderance
July 22nd, 2005 at 10:26 pm by jamesThere was a man lived in a beautiful land that had had no rain. The sky was hard, the trees were bare and dust blew through the meadows, collecting in his eyes and the corners of his house. Time passed and his cares about his house, his meadows, his trees, his health and his wealth waned as he allowed his mind to become consumed by his thirst.
One day, as he was standing lost in aimless thought on the baked earth outside his front door, he noticed an unusual coolness on the breeze. Was this the first gentle promise of rain? He remained rooted to the spot, scanning the horizon. Hope quickened in him. Sure enough, the sky darkened and before long he felt the rush of wind at the edge of the storm and drops began to fall. The rain swept in. He stood, as heavy drops danced in the dust, letting cool water course down his face. The smell of wet earth enveloped him and as the rain poured down joy rose in his heart.
He couldn’t tell how long he’d stood, but quite suddenly the sky lightened and the sun broke through. The earth steamed and all was soft around him. The man returned home, parched, for he had not drunk.