First Snow, Followed by Rain

The importance of context and a poem about the changes we don't see coming

The first snow of the season came this morning. It always feels like magic. I was so excited, catching snowflakes on my tongue and laughing, telling everybody I passed, “It’s snowing!” even though they almost certainly knew it already. I texted my kids -both away at college- a picture of the snow along with my new signature greeting, “It’s snowing!” One is a couple hours north and the other a couple hours south, but neither one of them was getting snow, which told me it wouldn’t last.

A few hours later all the snow is gone, except for just a bit clinging to leaves here and there. Now it’s just raining. Cold, wet, non-snowy rain. Funny how just a slight increase in the temperature can change things so much - how it looks outside, how it feels, how I feel. My mood is definitely not as chipper as it was this morning. Rain can cheer me up when it’s been too hot, or my plants are very thirsty, or when a string of sunny days gives way to the restfulness of a showery one with its narrower scope and indoor pursuits. But today the rain washed away all that pretty snow and I’m not pleased.

Here’s a rainy day poem for you. I hope it’s lovely where you are, whatever that looks like for you. I’ll be wishing for snow.

Roads Outgrown

I used to trace raindrops 
down car windows, picking one I hoped 
would trickle faster than all the others
only to see it diverted by some errant breeze or 
greasy smudge on the glass

I remember when I stopped 
speaking to you yet I don’t remember 
when we last spoke or what we spoke about
I might have made note of it had I known 
it would be the last time

But like raindrops streaking
down a window pane, 
the hard stop approaching 
hadn’t any bearing 
on the path we took to get there.

You would be forgiven for thinking 
our words would pile up or pool, lapping the shore,
waiting to be spoken. We used to say so much
But they have all drained away down the glass
and been flung as spray onto the road behind us