Rain

Rain has fallen upon this street.
The streets glisten;
So too the trees --
Cleansed, refreshed.

Light from the lamps
Peek between the foliage.
Shadows dance where my foot falls;
Upon my clothes and all over
As I pass by.

I breathe deeply;
The air is heavily damp.
I wade on, barely deterred.

Cars drive by more slowly,
Worried for safety.
None walks about,
Wary of the rain.
For a moment,
The street rests.

A bird cries out in the distance.
A flutter of wings;
A rustling of leaves;
A shadow darts across the sky.
It is gone.

Splash!
I step into a puddle.
Light bounces off the momentary ripples.
And I suddenly see it.
I step forward
And turn to look.
Too late;
Only a black shadow remains.
But now I know
What it conceals.

Tomorrow it will be gone.
The street will buzz again.
Sounds of lifestyles will drown nature.
For now,
There is no other:
Only the street, nature
And I.