.
.
I raised my small arms
To the wondrous rain.
Billions of rounded
Prisms glistened with
Sparkling cooling
Rainbows of crystal
Faerie kisses soothing
My hot brow, wetting
My long hair that gave
Me an elfin shade from
The now smiling sun
Dancing in the falling
Late afternoon soft
Warm perfect
Barely splashing…
“Grandmother, Mother
Look! Oh see! Come out
Come out!”
“What now?
Oh. I see.”
“That is just the Devil
Beating his wife.”
Grandmother and Mother
Returned to their tasks,
Nodding to each other
In a rare moment
Of womanly agreement.
Mother echoed
Grandmother’s
Sidelong glance at
My wet self, standing
Just beyond the shelter
Of the roof.
“How can the Devil
Beat his wife?
The Devil doesn’t
Have a wife.
Who would marry
The Devil?”
Again Grandmother
And Mother shared
That strange look.
So strange because
They never agreed
About anything.
Mother looked at
Me, for once with
Compassion rather
Than contempt.
“Many are the
Foolish girls
Who have
Married devils
For nothing
But their charm.”
“Child, one day
You will see
These devils
Dancing ’round
Preening and
Crowing and
Making promises.
Lying and
Strutting
Knowing of
Their devilish charm.”
“This rain is
The Rain of Woman’s
Silent Tears.”
“Too late do
Many women see
The Devil shed
His Cloak of Charm.
It’s useless to
Cry for what
Is already done,
When there is
Work to be done.”
“Go on now.
Play in the
Sorrow of Women.
Today it is glittering
Rounded prism of
Warm and soothing
Girlhood rain.”
” But know, Child,
When the sun is
Shining and a
Gentle rain
is falling,
Both at
The same time…”
“The Devil
Is Beating
His Wife.”
Bear … 07.08.2014
ⓒ Bearspawprint
.
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bearspawprint 
A salutary tale. True yes and timely told but will,or did the child take heed. Beautifully written Bear. xxx
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Thank Willow. Do you, In UK, use that saying? the Devil Is Beating His Wife?
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No Bear I have not heard of before. We say April showers whatever the month if we have sunshine and rain. 😉 xx
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Must be from the southern Appalachians mountains, then. The folk I knew who used that “saying” have all passed away, so I can’t ask them. But they were from that mountain area, born in the late 1800s.
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Strange how peoples with such huge distances between them can come up with similar “saying” . xx
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XXX
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🙂
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there has been much rain lately 😉
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Where are you? I am in North East Florida , lots of noisy thunder boomers here, and two recent incidents of The Devil Beating His Wife.
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I am in the Northern Catskill Mountains of NY..it’s been crazy outside!
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Run off erosion?
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how did you know, my yard is turning into a swamp..we are at the bottom of a mountain in a valley
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Cypress tolerate cold better than most people realize. 🙂
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ahhh… stay dry my friend.. 🙂
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Is your part of the Catskills beautiful? I haven’t been there since 1968. but, as I remember, it was all quite scenic, then. You had damaging flood just a couple of years ago with a hurricane. Did your property and health fare well?
I do hope and pray that YOU don’t sustain serious property damage or health concerns or more than you can cope with the current wild weather. Mildew can be a bugger. And cars don’t like water in tail pipes or over spark plugs. Electricity can go anywhere in water. Refrigerators and computers don’t care for power fluctuations.
If you get a bad flash flood, do not go in the attic, unless there is a way out that is up, or a big enough window with a way to get on top of the roof. Poor infrastructure planning can create nasty surprises for folk in low lying areas. Please be careful. Don’t drive through flowing water, especially if you cannot see where the edge of the road is.
I grew up living in US. Forest Service and Florida Forest Service compounds. I have lived in some mountainous areas that had run-off problems due to over logging.
But engineers, planners, and commodities dealers, that don’t understand water, can ruin … well, everything. Big sprawling, flat Los Angeles had some killing flash floods, once upon a time.
I live in a river swamp. The indigenous vegetation has adapted to periodic flooding with intermittent drought. Architecture has also adapted. No basements.
Pianos don’t like humidity. And nothing else will stay tuned either. Even with air conditioning (I am so grateful to have A.C. Maybe I should find some Yoko Ono sheet music ?? Aarrgh!!!
And my dogs don’t like thunder or rain. 🙂 We need more rain, down here. 20 +? years of deficit rainfall (and urban and agricultural tapping) has the aquifers in need of replenishing. We can stand some inconvenience, down here, for refilled aquifers.
PS The Aussies (olden days) found that planted eucalyptus forests dried up swamps. I have bamboo (cane type) planted in a gray water (washing machine) area. Just some ideas for your newly soggy environs. Raised planting beds afford drainage and make it easier to garden. They can look quite nice, too.
But maybe a canoe and umbrella are what you really need. ???
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thank you so much for your wonderful advice, shared knowledge and comments. I have to go to work now but I will be back on tonight to chat further. you are a dear “sister” ❤
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And you a kind. Be safe.
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