edit 2 - California Rain Delay

[dukealien]

California Rain Delay


Rain rinses California.

Cliffside houses—
beauty unendurable, folly uninsurable—
lose their footings, stumble,
crash down broken-hipped
while in mist-valleys
muscular brown arms of mud,
great rocks and Volvos clenched in fists,
thrust between, around,
punch through McMansion tragedies.

But at least this deluge
and its silt-rush oceanward delays
dry times when firebugs emerge
to run berserk with Santa Anna wind,
spark tinder hills ablaze.

edit1;

Rain rinses California.
Cliffside houses—
beauty unendurable, folly uninsurable—
lose footing, surf down broken-hipped.
In mist valleys
muscular brown arms of mud,
great rocks and Volvos clenched in fists,
punch between, around,
and through McMansion tragedies.
But at least this deluge
with its silt-rush oceanward delays
dry times when firebugs return
to dance through Santa Anna winds
and spark gray hills ablaze.

original;

Rain rinses California.
Cliffside houses—
beauty unendurable, folly uninsurable—
lose footing, surf down broken-hipped.
In mist valleys
muscular brown arms of mud,
great rocks and Volvos in their fists,
punch between, around,
and through McMansion tragedies.
But at least this deluge
and its silt-rush oceanward delay
dry times when firebugs commence
their dance of sabotage and vengeance.

From before the April NAPM rush