The day looked miserably cold and rainy
But, being spring, it was only rainy
The warmth of yesterday lingered
The cherry blossoms had fallen
And dried up on the streets weeks ago
Were they thankful to be swept away now?
Their glory days past?
An old man rode by on his bicycle
Holding his umbrella in one hand
It covered him but not the wooden box where his bag was stuffed behind his seat
He seemed a bit wobbly in the rain
Avoiding the parked cars along one side
Weaving among the people walking
Permanently bent-over ajummas carried their baskets of vegetables
Those ajummas without umbrellas acted as if there was no rain
But everyone else ran for cover or huddled under umbrellas
Young mommies, with babies on the front
Waddled under the weight of their baby lumps
Peeking under the blanket now and then, they hustled down the street
All scurrying through today’s new rain
I paused at the crosswalk
Deciding if I should change plans
But I had my umbrella
Okay, it’s not my umbrella
Working at a school, abandoned umbrellas appear
Quicker than I can lose mine
So, I had ‘an’Â umbrella
And the rain was a blanket
A mistiness that enfolded and cushioned the entire scene
I tread softly the few blocks
With no sounds reporting my steps
Arriving, hair damp and curlier than usual
As I’m shaking off my umbrella
“Nice weather!”
“Yes! Nice, Â indeed!”
*ajummas – elderly ladies, Â Korean. They are known here for being feisty and strong! Many have severe osteoporosis, but are very physically active, seen gardening, selling vegetables, working and walking.
About the Author:
Joan Gregerson lives and teaches in Samcheonpo, Gyeongsangnamdo, South Korea. She writes books and blogs about a couple things she’s picked up on in her 50+ years: mainly how to give up worrying and enjoy life more. She writes about love, life, meditation, nature, nutrition and anything that puzzles or inspires her. Find her books on Amazon and Kindle, or follow her on facebook.com/joangregerson or twitter@joangregerson
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