Beautiful Rain

This is a repost of writing from the past. But its for Nora, on her birthday. Happy 21st to the little sister I have always loved inside and out. I miss you.

Her umbrella turned inside out

Like the movies

But instead of the glamour, we are just wet.

She licks the rain off her lips,

The lingering drops that stick

She looks at me, big blue eyes.

And grins.

Bleached hair stuck to her forehead

In small wet clumps,

The black mascara starts to drip

In streaks on her cheeks.

A truck passes sending a wave of water to our feet

We scream and she pushes me away

Bolting across the street, I look back

And she is there on the curb waiting for a gap

She looks small standing, alone

“Now” I scream and she laughs and gallops across

Her lean body lost in the gray

She’s running and laughing

the cars whiz by

The long black scarf flapping in the wind

She reaches me, hunched over and panting.

Cheeks painted pink

“I look great, don’t I?” she breathlessly asks

pursing her lips to make her best model face.

“Of course you do. Beautiful.” I reply

She thinks I am kidding, but I’m not.

I consider taking her into my arms and holding her tight

To say “yes, you really are beautiful, the most beautiful I have ever seen”

But she is laughing

With her face to the sky

Her tongue out, catching the rain.

She looks happy, amidst the gray.

So instead we walk

Together

Through the rain and cold

And I will forever remember her this way.