rain, fall on neglected rooftops, fall,

let thirsty rooftops drink

sky unleashes a wardrobe of shattered stars

rain, fall on the heavy rooftops,

fall on the clear lake of faces.

we are all boats freed from anchor at birth

we are all bound to go

across the light-lost waters no man will measure;

shifting hopes contained in the wingspan of a smile.

tears fall across the ruined dust of the horizon

of the faces passing by

rain falls on the morning’s fire

for somebody’s always going away; somebody always comes back

somebody breathes slow, somebody reaches for me in need

when I am gone from them in the mists filling my mind

they’re bound to leave on their own

we’re all bound to leave, fathomless as rain.

my hand reaches for the hand of the one next to me

who has the look of one who has stood outside

a long time in warm rain, like peace-cracked rock,

softly, peacefully crumbling in rain.

the sorrow birds of rain

fly over my rooftop, over my head, crying for me

sky blooming with birds, light born of rain

glistening green and blue on their wings

one for the earth, one for the sky

strange in their stilling beauty.

when rainfall turns into nameless blossoms

and shadowy green things growing under little stones

when rainfall lights up dry fields of winter wheat

when rainfall drags night on her cape

when rainfall changes on my tongue and teeth

in deviations of music like harmonic kisses

when rainfall plays like a piano upon my window

when rainfall gathers streetlights into wind-blown crystals

when rainfall creeps like a child along some meadow

I reach for the door of rain; daylight and night’s web,

And all is one and the same in the rain—

we are all running down the rooftops of life

we are all flowing, we are all flying

nestled inside sweet cocoons

watering the peach and the almond stem

we are all alone in the rain

my raindrop of a life holding a lamp’s reflection—

rain is the little sister who always comes back to me.