THE RAIN

THE RAIN
it had gotten to the point
where the rain
was the only thing a person could talk about
because it was ruining lives
the restaurants were hurting
the bartenders were starving in their rooms
the painters had already drank
all their money at the bars
and so instead they just stood around
glaring at the walls
the landscapers and roofers
the proprietors of bicycle rental companies
the walking tour guides
and the party cruise ship captains
what could they do?
and what could they say?
“two days of sun last month, two days, but the rain!”
“twenty six days of rain!”
“a few days of drizzly fog, but the rain!”
“why won’t it stop? Who’ll stop this rain?”
“it cannot go on like this. Oh, this rain!”
there was no use in looking at a weather forecast
it would be rain for the next day
and the day after
and the following week
rain, rain, rain
so I bought an umbrella
and a new handle of whiskey
and got very used to being wet
because really, what can a person do about the rain?
he can smile and frown and curse the gods
but in the end
he is going to just be wet
and he must remember
that at some point
some day
he will once again be dry