When it rains
I try not to complain
For in the drought
Flowers die out
And we all need
To feed on the rain.
When it rains
I try not to complain
For in the drought
Flowers die out
And we all need
To feed on the rain.
I see babies in prams pass me by.
The seasons merge into 1
And I sigh for what is going fast,
And may already be gone.
The sound of carefree children touches me.
I must grope for hope
When women give birth on warming earth
To children who will not see
The season’s cycle as it should be.
Warm in my bed
Thor’s great roar shook me
Out of my complacency.
These thoughts in my head
Will die. But Thor
And the rain will remain.
This civilisation is in denial.
We hide behind technology
While the weather gods smile
At our naivety,
Biding their time
The scents of a mild July
Fill the woodland air.
There has been a heavy downpour.
I know there
Will be more
Rain to soak the dry
Earth here in the UK.
While elsewhere
People die
In the blistering sun.
Today, it is not the UK.
But another heatwave will surely come
And we will pray
For the rain again.
The autumn
Used to bring fallen leaves
While the springtime
Brought flowers.
Now I rhyme
Of confusion
and the illusion of progress.
But man’s hour?
I know not
When his clock may stop.
Soon the autumn moon
Will come
And autumn’s milder face
Will replace
The boiling summer sun.
Yet the poet sees
Autumn’s Fallen leaves
Broiled by summer’s sun
Long ‘Ere autumn
Is due to come.
The thunder spoke
And I awoke
To heavy rain.
I lay awake
Pondering on lakes
And climate change.
I took pleasure
In rainy weather
As a child
But this wild
Storm warns
Of change.
Dry leaves hang
On waiting trees.
The dead litter
The cracked ground.
Our bitter
Harvest of drought.
On 28 July, I appeared On Vancouver Co-op Radio’s The World Poetry Reading Series https://www.mixcloud.com/VictorSchwartzman/world-poetry-cafe-july-28/.
During my interview, I discussed the recent heatwave in the United Kingdom and read my poem Melting Ice. In addition, I discussed the responsibilities of a poet.
My segment begins approximately 8 minutes into the podcast and runs for about 10 minutes.
I listened back to the show using Google Chrome, but other browsers should also work.
Children make waves
In paddling pools.
The present heatwave
Will not stay.
And sceptic fools
Continue their play
While home burns.
Some civilisations go slow
In their decay
While others stay
But a short time.
Birdsong does not last.
And poets must rhyme
Of empires that pass
And fast climate change.