Slow, steady rain all day long fills potholes,
Birdbaths and rain barrels.
Between breaks from the rain,
I planted basil, thyme, and red dahlias
Lyn gave me next red tulips from Louise,
And red zinnias from Alice.
Tulips are gone by, lilac bush and columbines
Are soaking up the rain under the grey sky,
Flooding thirsty hearts and rivers.
With drops of promises and hopes.
Self-seeding wildflowers thrive along the shore
Of the pebble-lined river competing for specks of dirt.
Even non-natives squeeze themselves in,
And then they become natives in time.
Hopes and promises crowd my river of vein
Dotting in and out of the spring rain, imagining red flowers
In my flower beds. Rain barrels are full and ready
To quench thirst.
2023
Year of the Rabbit
yenna yi 