It’s Autumn here in my neck of the woods, and I am in my annual state of denial about the inevitability of the changing weather. I am a summer person – I love to swim, and snorkel and enjoy the heat. I am not so keen on being cold and wet. But it is, as I said, inevitable that the seasons will change and roll through, and in spite of my objections, I always end up remembering that there are lovely things about every season.
This week is a case in point. The week began warm and bright, and on Wednesday I was able to squeeze in an early morning snorkel, at a place called Castle Rock. Here’s a glimpse of what I saw.
(Incidentally, as I was getting ready to leave, I ran into a man who was setting up his drone for some aerial footage. He told me where to find him on Instagram and, lo and behold, he posted an image from above the very spot I had been snorkelling. So, if you want to see the same scene from above, head here).
Back home, and yesterday saw a complete change in the weather, with a big autumn rain storm. I was at my desk working on a poetry resource I am writing, and watching the weather change out my window, so I wasn’t surprised when the rain came down. But I did get a giggle when I realised what I was working on just at that time. I was busily adding two poems to the resource – both about rain! As the rain pelted down, I was entering this:
A Song of Rain
by C.J. Dennis
Patter, patter … Boolcoomatta,
Adelaide and Oodnadatta,
Pepegoona, parched and dry,
Laugh beneath a dripping sky.
Riverina’s thirsting plain
Knows the benison of rain.
Ararat and Arkaroola
Render thanks with Tantanoola
For the blessings they are gaining,
And it’s raining—raining—raining!
Weeps the sky at Wipipipee
Far Farina’s folk are dippy
With sheer joy, while Ballarat
Shouts and flings aloft it’s hat.
Thirsty Thackaringa yells;
Taltabooka gladly yells
Of a season wet and windy;
Men Rejoice on Murrindindie;
Kalioota’s ceased complaining;
For it’s raining—raining—raining!
(This is an extract from a longer poem which can be found here).
I love that this poem manages to gather the pace and momentum of a big rain storm. I also love the way it celebrates so many of Australia’s unique place names. You don’t have to know where they are to get real pleasure from the sound of them.
You might imagine that, when I realised the synchronicity of the rain outside and the rain poem on my computer screen, that the storm took on new meaning, and I was soon giggling and chanting ‘And it’s raining – raining – raining’ .
The next poem I worked on was also about rain, though not quite as joyful:
An Ode to the Rain
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
I know it is dark; and though I have lain,
Awake, as I guess, an hour or twain,
I have not once opened the lids of my eyes,
But I lie in the dark, as a blind man lies.
O Rain! that I lie listening to,
You’re but a doleful sound at best:
I owe you little thanks, ’tis true,
For breaking thus my needful rest!
Yet if, as soon as it is light,
O Rain! you will but take your flight,
I’ll neither rail, nor malice keep,
Though sick and sore for want of sleep.
But only now, for this one day,
Do go, dear Rain! do go away!
(Again you will find the full poem here). I love that Coleridge took the Ode form, which is usually about praising something, and turned it humorously on its head to beg the rain to go away.
And me? Having smiled my way through the rain storm, which was a good one, with thunder and lightning and torrential rain, I got back to work and then, this morning, have woken to a cool but fine day. That’s Autumn for you!
Whatever season you are celebrating, it’s the right season for poetry. And, on Poetry Friday there is plenty of poetry to be found across the world wide web. Matt is hosting the Poetry Friday roundup today and also sharing a fun new poetic form, the tricube. I might have to tri try my hand at one – or three.
Enchanting snorkeling journey, and I love seeing all the zebra fish swimming in and out! “A Song of Rain” reminds me of Longfellow’s “Hiawatha” poem with all the name places and the rhythm. Lovely post Sally, thanks!
Thanks for the enchanting snorkeling journey–I can see why you’d like to hold on to warmer weather–I loved seeing the zebra fish! “A Song of Rain” reminds me of Longfellow’s Hiawatha with all the place names and the rhythm–lovely post Sally, thanks!
I love the Australian place names in that rain poem – how fun!
Your poems and the video, make me want to move from dry, dry Colorado to Australia, where I would be surrounded by water!!! I love the place names, they are so much fun to say. I can imagine a first grade class chanting this poem, or part of it, with huge joy!! Thank you!
Those place names are fun, Sally! Perfect in that poem. Keep sharing your snorkeling adventures. Living vicariously through you!
So much about your post is fun, Sally. Those amazing place names, Coleridge’s clever ode and all those striped fish swimming among the rocks. I’m waiting for spring and glad of it, but fall has its beauty, too, especially if you don’t mind rain.
Thank you for visiting Janice. Those striped fish (the longer ones) are called zebra fish. I bet you can’t guess why 🙂
I love seeing your videos, Sally. My family is planning an ocean trip & hope to do some snorkeling. I’ll have to get my grandson to use his GoPro to take a video. The autumn thoughts are kin to our spring ones, exciting to have change & here in Colorado, we welcome that rain, exciting to “Laugh beneath a dripping sky” & unlike Coleridge’s “Do go, dear Rain! do go away!” Happy Autumn to you! I liked hearing about your writing as the storm gathered and arrived!
Thank you Linda. I would love to see your grandson’s video if he takes one and see what it is under the sea on your side of the world. Happy Spring to you, and thanks for visiting.
How fun to read two such different poems about the same subject! I love the rhythm of the first poem and how the Australian names roll so naturally off of the tongue.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for visiting Elisabeth
Love these, Sally – especially Coleridge’s plaintive apostrophe, with its sorrowful repetition, “Oh, rain!”
Thanks Matt. It reminds me of the rhyme ‘rain rain go away.’
ooooohhhhhhhhh I know that feeling of seeing autumn come and not being quite ready to give up summer. Summer is so lovely. My leaf friends and I have become close and I hate to see them drop to the ground for winter. What a lovely video of your snorkel time. I just took a photo of my cat cuddled up to the music and the glimpses of fish on your adventures. I’ll have to share that with you.
That first poem with all those wonderful PLACE names. Oh, my goodness how fun to try to pronounce them. Ha! They are funny at first…but they must also be tied to more than just fun sounds. Makes me want to jump on a plane or at least do some googling like you.
Enjoy some weather that helps you get writing. Good to see your post today. Thank you!
Thank you Linda. I so want to see your cat enjoying my video. How wonderful.
You are right about the place names. Many of the ones in the poem are the places which have retained the names given by our first nations people, rather than being replaced with coloniser’s names.
Sally, it is alway so delightful to come to your site to see what’s happening underwater and above also! The rain came down hard here in Virginia and then quickly left. Thanks for the two ran poems. At least tonight, I was not awaken by the rain but treated to a potpourri of Autumn Rain.
Thank you Carol. It is always delightful to have you visit.