walking in the rain

be it london, nyc, paris or

your own neck of the woods

paved with the memories of

many before (whilst many will follow after you),

a private jaunt

just when it begins to come down

(not cats & dogs yet

but that spit rain that reminds you that the storm just might be

coming),

can allow the mind to wander &

as the pavement starts to take a pounding,

you can finally appreciate the surroundings---

the crowds scurrying, the puddles forming &

the umbrellas painting a nylon sheath o’er our heads---

the graying of the cityscape makes for

emotional evenings that illuminate feelings that might have been

hidden in the shadows of the sun,

as the exodus from the parks & the streets

sends people flocking to the restaurants, the cafés & the movie theatres,

so that together

they can bask in the glory of

what those festering in sunny california or heatstroke prone miami

may never encounter quite the same.