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!
