I woke up this damp day
thinking of Venice … ~ Dreaming Water, by Rhina P. Espaillat
A damp day in Southern California can spur dreams of Venice or similar cities where water abounds, where precipitation alleviates heat and drought, where dry air, a cocktail of dust and pollen stirred by the punishing Santa Ana winds, is washed anew.
Southern California has a strange relationship with rain. We get too much, and watch houses wash out into the ocean, or not a drop for a year, and watch all that once was green dry out. Still, we love rain, despite its long absences and brutal attacks on the landscape.
I love rain for many reasons, from the most obvious given the drought to the abundance of sensory information there to explore, the white noise that blots out distractions, the calm it offers as I watch it out the window.
Rain would be my favorite everyday moment, if not so scarce.
Just as music soothes the savage soul … rain soothes the mind; and there are few — very few — more appealing everyday moments than waking up to the sound of rain.
… my bones dreamt water;
and I thought of green-dappled
ceilings glimpsed from our
gondola, the sea
domestic in its stone gloves.
_____
Images:niazviperzinc.blogspot
Silvia Writes 
Lovely Silvia thank you! I also love rain for its drought relief – much needed here in South Africa. I love the anticipation of it, the build up, the pressure in the air … the rumbling of a storm, lightning …Though it’s true that it can be devilish in its intensity and cause such damage. Thank you for sharing your every day moments! Is the 5 line prose at end of your post a follow on of ‘Dreaming Water’? It is beautiful…
Thank you, Susan. Yes, the last poetry part at the very end is a follow up to the beginning of Dreaming Water. You list many things I love about rain, despite the occasional destruction.
I find myself enjoying rainy days even more now that I moved to a 4th floor condo. No worries about a roof or yard, etc. We were in a drought situation here in north Texas for a long time, but thankfully that has ended for now. Cheers to you, Silvia
Oh, Denise, one day I want to live in a 4th floor condo and no longer worry about such things. So much to love about downsizing. Thank you.
Yes, I remember the rain down there and the mudslides. Fortunately, long ago California was not suffering from the droughts that it now is. California rain is unique… BUT, I think you should move to Washington! We have far more rainbows with our rain! ;-)
I love your description and pictures… very lovely. Hugs to you!
Far more rainbows … that’s a great selling point, Gwynn, second only to being close to you. :) Thank you.
I wish I could send you some of our rain!
The Glasgow Gallivanter
I’d send you something in return. :) Thank you, Anabel.
lovely.
Thank you, Melanie.
I loved this post! I lived in Southern California for 3 years and completely understand what you mean! Now that I am back in the midwest we definitely have rain! It is a beautiful thing though, refreshing and renewing!
I’m jealous, Tawnya, of your rain. :) In a good, amicable way. Thank you for visiting and the lovely comment.
Rain…there are times in the Pacific NW when we’re ready for it to move elsewhere. I guess California should be its new destination. When we’ve had enough, we’ll send it to you. :-)
We would not mind, Andrea, if it moved here. :) Thank you for coming by. Always enjoy reading your comments.
It’s a rainy day here, and I wouldn’t find if it wasn’t so cold and windy outside too. A nice gentle rain on a warm day can be nice for me.
On warm days, summer days, we never get rain. Well, almost never, but it’s very, very rare. So much so that we call rain in summertime earthquake weather. Thank you for stopping by L.G.
I love the rain as well. I even gave my daughter the middle name Raine. It is soothing when it’s not pounding down. And the sun hurts my eyes these days, so clouds are my friends.
Love the name Raine, Tamara. Beautiful. Thank you for coming by.
There’s nothing quite like hearing the rain trickling down your window while you’re writing. Not sure what it is, but it certainly keeps me going creatively while I occasionally look up to watch…
You said it Carol. Nothing like it. Thank you.
Looks like rain is in the forecast for later this week. Nothing quite like a good rainstorm to make the local news entertaining. You’d think we were in for quite the catastrophe. (Still remember a reporter lamenting, “The puddles are rising!”)
Oh, The CA reporters and rain … you’d think they’re describing the end of the world. Would love some rain later this week. Thanks for reading, Liz.
I love the poem quotes, Silvia. And, the rain. As much as I miss SoCal, every time it rains here, and that’s normally every few days, I remember how much I missed the rain when I lived in California, And, as you say, the rain out there is phenomenal when it comes — it washes houses away, off cliffs; but, oh, the clean air and the snow on the mountains.
So true, Samantha. Our rain is like a big show … or an opera diva. Sure likes to make an entrance. Thank you.
Hi Silvia – I love the rain too! Absolutely love it. The best is when the morning is wet and the day slightly gloomy, I feel most energised by it. I also love when it’s storming outside and I sit by the window to watch the fat drops of rain pound the earth. Love this post! :D
Love gloomy days, AJ. Not depressing for me at the least. Thank you for reading and the comment.
I do love when it rains. It hardly ever does in my neck of the woods, I’m probably more likely to see a shooting star. Even as a kid rainy days were the best. Lovely post!
Your neck of the woods sounds like ours. :) Thanks for reading, Steph.
We get plenty of rain here in the UK! We live in a particularly damp area in the south west, but I, too, love the sound of rain. I have a roof window in my study and it is lovely to hear it when I’m all warm and dry inside! ~Liz http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com
With my daughter in LA, we’ve had our finger on the pulse of the drought. Glad it seems to have broken. The smell of the air after a rain in CA is special.