Raindrop Journeys

The newly christened liquid water falls

In tiny packets sliding from the storm,

And, entering the forest’s wooded halls,

They follow many paths of varied form,

Eventually to reach absorbent soil

Where, percolating, they will feed the trees.

Some sink before the clouds have stopped their toil,

At once to join organic alchemies

Transmuting life from separate elements.

But other droplets take their time to drift

From upper canopies with ornaments

Of flower, fruit, and vine before they gift

The ground with what sustains this old-grown place.

They travel, dripping down from leaf to leaf,

And crawling round the branches as they trace

Their paths that, in the sun, remain so brief,

Evaporating to ascend the air

And start again. The droplets run their race,

But reaching first to win is not their care,

For every moment’s journey is a grace

Enlightened as the sunlight pierces through

To capture all the beauty in its space.

So, follow every branch and learn anew

How each unique direction adds to you.


This poem began as I was watching a gentle rain fall around the tree outside my window. I was struck by the fact that some droplets reach the ground very quickly, while others take more time, pausing on leaves or branches, or sliding slowly down the trunk of the tree. It made me think of how we live our lives - sometimes at a hectic, frantic pace, and sometimes more slowly and reflectively. For me, the latter is what I tend to strive for, though I don't always achieve it.