When? The sand queried

In gravelly voice;

When? The parched paddies

Gasped in dust-choked whispers;

When? The coconut leaves rustled

In brownish dryness, forgetting greens;

When? The grass mustered

Enough strength to shape the question;

When? The people raised eyes

Seeking solace for seared souls!

Thunder rumbled

And broke the dust-smothered silence,

Yet there was no water

To slake the thirst,

To drench the earth,

To wash the dust,

And to grace with life

The world

And the spirit.

In the dusty nave,

The faithful knelt or stood

And raised their hearts in devotion

While their bodies sweltered

And droplets trickled down their backs;

The ceiling fans whirred above

To dry the salty sweat;

The smoke spiraled above the waxen candles,

In their decorated candlesticks.

The aural spokes of the monstrant gleamed

Around the exposed Host,

Reaching out with Divine presence.

But the sky had darkened,

With clouds pregnant

With aqueous droplets.

The air was redolent of the wet,

Nostrils prickling with anticipation !

In the midst of Litany,

The dewdrops condensed

And came down in arrays

That turned to instant rain.

The parched land soaked up

In a sigh of relief

And the scent of new rain on sand

Rose up in ecstasy.

The water darkened the sand

And the devotees felt the waft of coolness

In the midst of Adoration.

They rushed out in relief,

Spirits soaked and bodies revived;

Land felt slaked

As were the spirits

When feet dug into wet sand

And leaves gleamed,

Washed of dust and grime.

Spirits thirsted

And bodies parched.

But, the wait is over.

Solace is at hand!