after  the showers had stopped
we rushed out our hands cupped
to receive stray drops of sky water
then the games would begin in earnest
run,splash and laugh in the puddles
paper boat races on the meandering rivulets
we rolled in the mud and waited for the inevitable
mother screamed her head off about mud, dirt and disease
then like a chorus of cherubim we broke into happy songs
rain, rain stop! come another day; rain, rain fall again
we want your gift of pumpkins and watermelons
and though we knew it not we had stumbled on paradox
these are the things we used to do in our younger days