For the next half of National Poetry Month 2017,
Malvina will Sing It, and I'll write a poem in response.
Another unifying topic in Malvina Reynolds' songs is the environment. The next few days will feature songs written in the 1960's and 1970's, but which are fresh and topical today.
Ode to an Inch of Life-Giving Rain
Oh, Rain!
You fall so abundantly further east
but we treasure every hundredth of an inch
here on the western high plains.
Oh, Rain!
You have rescued the wheat crop,
not to mention the Russian Olives
in the windbreak on the north side of the house.
Oh, Rain!
You lift every spirit.
Are your ears burning? The inch that fell last night
is the topic of every conversation at the post office.
©Mary Lee Hahn, 2017
Malvina Reynold's voice sounds like the rain in this piece, doesn't it? Like a melancholy lullaby, sad and sweet at the same time. I'll tell you what, we're pretty rain-starved in the SE corner of the country (but I can't complain about the lack of humidity). Apologies for taking too long to visit, Mary Lee, and thank you for sharing your ode in the potluck! I especially love the informality and personification at the end of your poem... who knew rain's ears could "burn."
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