I love it when it rains in summer

Listening to the pattering on my roof

Lying in bed thinking of all the good it does

Making the vegetation greener

Causing flowers to bloom

Keeping plants and trees alive

Refreshing the earth and atmosphere

While filling steams, ponds, and lakes

It’s sad when it causes rivers

To overflow their banks 

Bringing destruction

Making traffic stall

At rush hour on the freeways 

But we use umbrellas

To greet the rain

Decking out in our rain coats 

As we hurry on our way to work

But, what about the natives in Africa?

Rain water is the main source for many villagers 

They catch this water in containers

Depend on it for their fields to grow crops

When there’s a drought it saves them from famine

It sustains Africans with anew hope

Image via Wikipedia

Giving them reasons to live

Some kids I thought again

Simply like playing outside in the rain

They run out into the streets 

To have fun with other kids 

Laughing and having water gun fights

Drenching each other with water hoses

Having more fights with buckets of water

After these displays

They run back inside

Usually into the kitchen

Or, the garage

Take off their wet clothes 

Dry themselves with towels

Waiting as their smiling mothers

Provide them with their favorite treats

The fun part being when they give them

Warm chocolate milk with cookies

To keep the chill away

Those are some of the joys of the rain

That I so dearly love