Ruined by Rain

I’ve lost my faith in the summer time , Cos it don’t stop raining

- The Importance of Being Idle, Oasis, 2005

The daily August thunderstorm arrives unexpectedly. Always.

Yesterday it poured in the evening,

today it showers in the afternoon,

tomorrow - who knows?

Even if the forecast says it won't rain, it will.

The rainy season falls in the summer here,

creating a climate that can best be described as a steamy sauna.

Sometimes the sun shines during the rain,

tormenting me with the knowledge that somewhere,

not too far, the rain ends and clear skies begin -

but not here.

Other times, the sky is devoid of light,

black, ominous stormclouds roll in,

and the day becomes so dark that it feels like dusk.

The lightning strikes so close

that the thunder follows immediately,

no time to count the seconds in between.

Slowly, the timing of the lightning bolts

and the thunder separates, meaning

the storm is moving farther away.

These storms come and go as they please.

I plan a morning run, but I feel raindrops

splatter on my head right as I step outside.

The weather loves to throw off my day.

An evening at the pool would be relaxing,

I think, and a minute later thunder peals in the sky.

Vitamin D is important, even a walk outside would suffice,

but no, I procrastinated, and now it's raining again.

To avoid the rain, the only option

is to take advantage of the sun

as soon as it shows itself

for as long as the sky remains clear.

I wanted a relaxing summer break

after a difficult year at school,

but the rain constantly foils my attempts

to enjoy any sunny weather.

My sense of smell is poor, I try but I can't

sniff out

the rain.

I wrote this for L.C. Schäfer's unofficial bullshit Summer challenge for July 2024, which can be found at this link. The deadline to enter is 11:59 PM GMT, Saturday 28th July 2024.

Word count (minus blurb): 302