THE BIG RAIN

Today began the tsuyu (rainy season), two days later than usual according to the weather bureau, which last week forecast that the tsuyu would begin three days ago, so I guess I'd rather believe the weather, it honors its own time.

This morning I woke to the familiar voice of the tsuyu, that steady tenor the sky sings this time of year and loudest in the mornings, long thin streams of water falling in the calm, filling the air with silver, gathering down the mountain in the waiting rice paddies. And so it goes on steadily downfalling all day, misting the hours with all the perfumes the forest has spent the night concocting...

The big rain is also wondrous to walk in, generously inspiring of those with wide umbrellas and no destination in mind...