Sonata For Christmas Eve Rain

SONATA FOR CHRISTMAS EVE RAIN I. I sit in my friend’s armchair, waiting for her to get ready for church. Pianissimo, the raindrops fall in quick, staccato rhythm on the windows, the roof, and the pool. I imagine the circles they make on the water. expanding in echoes only angels can hear. II. We drive through the valley’s empty green pastures, to the old country church in Academy. The raindrops run down the windshield like notes connecting in smooth legato phrases made by a piano’s pedal. III. A fire crackles in the church’s ancient woodstove, joining the outside rain in an animated duet. Lead by the antique pump organ, we stand to sing, becoming part of their Christmas carol. Published in Song of the San Joaquin, Winter 2018