Ready for Rain

Parts of me have been dry so long
Deprived of any moisture
Hardened into unyielding stone
I don’t remember how softness feels

When I survey the varied terrain
I skip over the baked ground like white space
Focus instead on the luscious green fields
Bursting with life soaked in steady rain

Storm clouds gather on the horizon
Ready to pour down life-giving sustenance
The green fields are ready, soft and waiting to receive
Tiny roots and leaves barely shading the top soil

But the bone dry crust is doomed
When the rain comes, water runs off in rivers
Nothing penetrates the scabbed, scarred ground
An impenetrable shell shields everything below

Unless the rain falls so very gently
Collecting leisurely, it pools on the surface
Some evaporates into oblivion, but a few drops manage
To slowly soak down, ever-so-slightly softening

That’s when I notice – I feel the dryness
Opposing the smallest claim moisture has staked
The hard ground, desperate for rain, cries out
To be broken up and turned over, exposed to all the elements

Rain finds the plowed up earth, soaks into every crak
Saturates even the smallest spaces between the dirt
Finding at last the seeds hidden beneath the surface
Ready to germinate as the slick mud becomes soft earth

And if the seeds grow fast enough, they lock the moisture in
Protect the ground from the sun’s dehydrating gaze
Secure the surface from the exposure that forces crusting over
Ensures that the soil remains ready for rain