Winter has settled in to place in the southern hemisphere. Damp and cold days predominate.Winter doesn;t have a large circle of friends, but it does draw lots of attention.
If pluviophile is a new words to you, then I hope you are curious enough to check it out. It's a word just perfect for winter.
As the rain fell down into the street, it baptised me in the process and a winter poem rose from the puddles forming on the footpath.
Umbrellas Are Pluviophiles
It rained most of today
A signature winter day
Consistent, soaking rain
Made everything sodden, damp and dank
The neighbourhood dogs refused to go for a walk
The cats, displeased
Chose to sit by the window and sulk
My old mate, Roger
Was seen dodging puddles large and small
Because there’s a hole
In the sole of his favourite boots
By contrast the umbrellas
Were most pleased for the outing
Rising to the occasion
While popping their eye-catching tops.
Alan j Wright
It is Poetry Friday once more and our host this time is Tricia Stohr-Hunt who presents a triptych in a style prompted by the poem 'August' by Louise Ireland -but with a general theme of diving into summer.
I love this...from the sulking cat to poor old Roger. Then, there's the light, bright, smiles of the umbrellas. Wonderful imagery.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda. Glad the images had an impact.
DeleteThere is so much rich imagery here. At first I was sad for all the poem characters downtrodden by the rain, but your ending made me happy for the umbrellas! Thanks for teaching me a new word. I am a lover of rain and especially the puddles that result.
ReplyDeleteThank you for these words, Tricia. I'm glad the poem held appeal for a rain lover like yourself.
DeleteLove that those umbrellas were pleased, Alan. As you may imagine from my post, I laugh anywhere in Denver when I see an umbrella stand, tall & colorful as your photo demonstrates, but quite dusty! Your images delight! And pluviophile is a new one to me - Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI shall chcekc out your post, Linda. I recall how whenever it rained in NYC, umbrella sales persons suddenly materialized on the street! Glad you enjoyed the new word.
DeleteDelightful melancholic poem for a "damp and dank" day! Love your spirited Umbrella's appreciating the rain, fun pic too! We've been inundated with rain here in Chicago, positive is I don't have to water, but I do like it so when the Sun comes out 🌞 Thanks Alan, and wishing you some sun too!
ReplyDeleteRain and melancholy seem like an easy fit, Michelle. Summer season rain is always a bonus. So refreshing. Thanks for the sun wishes. We do have sunlight at present, but it is quite feeble, unfortunately. Today is the coldest day of the year, so far. No rain, however.
DeleteI love the umbrellas "rising to the occasion," Alan. I could really feel the raininess of your rainy day. :) And I love the word "pluviophile." My mother loved rainy days and after she died, I found a note from me that she had saved (and she didn't save much at all!) in which I had told her I'd discovered the word "pluviophile." I'd wanted her to know there was a word in this world that embodied the joy she found in the rain.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightful family story you convey, Karen. Hold onto that piece of treasure. Thank you for sharing that. Pluviophiles and pluvio files...
Delete❤️ "Pluviophiles and pluvio files" — I love that, Alan. :)
DeleteMust admit, Karen, I was pretty pleased with that little addition...
DeleteAlan, that IS a new word for me! Yay! And this, too, is a poem: As the rain fell down into the street, it baptised me in the process and a winter poem rose from the puddles forming on the footpath.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed pluviophiles, Irene. You acute observation of my introductory words has me consciously re-assessing them, so I thank you for shining a light on them. Shall endeavour to work with them moving forward.
Delete"Pluviophile" is a great word, Alan! I'm going to pass this one along to my friend the word collector. I could see everything in your poem so well.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan. Having s friend who is a logophile is a wondrous thing. It prompts us to strive to find our best possible words. I too have a friend who is a word collector and I love discussing word origns with him.
DeleteI would have to count myself as a lover of rain -- as long as it stays in its assigned season! Today I am an anemophile -- and love that I can enjoy AND remain in my pajamas!
ReplyDeleteAh, so you like your rain to know its place, Patricia. There are lots of people who prefer rain that is predictable and seasonally adjusted. Hope that wind doesn't lose control.
DeleteHe's a little poem about pajamas and the wind...
Penny Palmer’s Pink Pyjamas
Penny Palmer’s pink pyjamas
Were drying on the line
Held in place by giant pegs
Their pinkness, so divine
A substantial woman was Penny P.
Her pyjamas quite immense
They covered her from head to toe
Which all made perfect sense
The morning breeze began to grow
It formed into a gale
Those huge pyjamas on the line
Flipped and flopped and flailed
Penny Palmer’s pink pyjamas
Lifted upwards in a flash
Above her house they floated
Gaudy and pink and brash
The neighbourhood was puzzled
By pyjamas in the sky
A sunset in the morning
Had sent the day awry
Like floating blimps the top and tail
Began drifting into space
Tumbling pink pyjamas
Disappearing without trace
Penny P stood by her gate
A ciggy in her paw
She knew she’d never wear
Those pink pyjamas anymore
Penny Palmer’s pink pyjamas
Were last sighted floating east
And ended up in Africa
Beside a wildebeest
Alan, your Penny Palmar poem is a delightful one, with such a playful way of presenting the upward sweep of the pink pyjamas. Thanks for the unusual word, pluviophile.I had to look that up immediately to give me a heads up on your blog post. The umbrellas not only vivid in color but share joy as the rain falls.
DeleteThanks, Carol. Your comments lift me up just like Penny's pajamas. Glad you enjoyed the introduction to pluviophiles.
DeleteWhat a fun poem! I love the different characters and how they respond to the winter rain. Then that beautiful turn to the joy of umbrellas! Thanks for sharing. I’m wishing for winter rain as the Deep South in US is sweltering.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, thank you for your supportive response to my poem. May you be visited by air cleansing rain. The relief is always palpable.
DeleteThanks for a new word and a fun poem! "Rise to the occasion," indeed!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mary Lee. Glad you enjoyed umbrella utterings.
DeleteOoh ooh! I'm a pluviophile. I'm sitting on a covered porch while it rains today! However, it's not cold. :) I love that you made the umbrellas the pluviophiles in your poem. Just love it!
ReplyDeleteMarcie, enjoy the sensation of falling rain from your protected vantage point. Maybe you'll spot some passing umbrellas. Rain is coming my way today as well. Unfortunately its wrapped in cold temperatures.
DeleteAlan, I love your poem, including the umbrellas "rising to the occasion" and the fun and sound of "because there’s a hole/In the sole of his favourite boots." I am not familiar with the word "pluviophie" but I will be checking it out!!! Thank you for a new word!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Mona. Always happy to share new words with fellow poets. Glad my poem resonated with you as a reader.
DeleteA new word for me, too! And I have to say that "rising to the occasion" is a stroke of brilliance!
ReplyDelete