H2O

Deep hot bath fragrant with essential oils; lavender, myrrh, cloves, orange, cinnamon . . .

Rain falling . . . falling . . . falling . . .

The lightening day moving up through shades of grey (more than fifty).

Cool morning air through the open window; sweet, fresh, life-giving air from the sea. Gulls crying, a late hunting owl.

Rain falling . . . falling . . . falling . . . A busy drip from the roof splashing with an air of importance and urgency on the path below.

An empty can blowing randomly on a concrete surface, like a wind chime.

Diesel engines starting at the bus depot.

Rain falling . . . falling . . . falling . . .

Buddhist monks in the hills of Vietnam facing the sea, walking in barefoot silence through falling rain. Conical hats.

Macaque monkeys sitting in sober contentment in the hot springs of Japan. Snow falling. Rain falling . . . falling . . . falling . . .

Women in saris, men in dhotis, walking with equanimity through waist-high floodwater in Bangladesh. A twinge of anxiety – do they have shoes? Rain falling . . . falling . . . falling . . .

Bus queues forming in doleful silence – hoodies, macs, boots. Rain falling . . . falling . . . falling . . .

Yesterday shone dry and bright and clear. I washed all the bedding because of the flu bug in our house. I dried it in the wind and sun. But today rain is falling . . . falling . . . falling . . . and I have forgotten yesterday and cannot imagine a day when rain does not fall.