Appropriately, my hand-dyed ‘tenugui’ arrived just ahead of a string of storms from Japan to California that are predicted to deliver five inches of rain beginning this evening through January 9th. A gift from Evelynne Matsumoto that “seems to bring rain in Japan” depicts Raijin, the mythical deity of thunder and lightening and Fujin, the deity of the wind. Having the rain and the Raijin tenugui arrive at the same time is no more inexplicable and astonishing than reconnecting with Evelynne, my babysitter of sixty-five years ago—just full of magic.
As followers of my poetry know, I am easily susceptible to the notions of special gods and goddesses for rain, and subsequently intrigued by the 100s of deities that are revered and recognized in traditional Japanese culture. By comparison our culture today will never be as rich or lasting.
drycrikjournal 
Can I leave a poem as a comment? I don’t want to infringe on anyone’s territory.
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Certainly.
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…and here in the Southern Hemisphere we get our rain from other gods. From far across the Southern Oceans. Is your rain as cold as ours? Is it as sweet? Is it as nourishing to the seeds that lie on parched ground. Or are we all one? Yes. We are all one.
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And it’s taken a helluva lot of storms to make it so.
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Hurrah for both rain and the wonderful gift!
janet
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Hurrah, indeed!!
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LOVE TRIANGLE
Long, long ago
in the time of beginning,
not our time
Rain loved Mountain,
her silvery skin
shimmered, sparkled,
wrapped around him
Blissful, they ignored
rumblings from above,
Sky wanted Rain
for his own
Sky’s blue infinity
reflected in Rain’s eyes.
Rain could not see
her Mountain
Sky called Rain,
You belong with me,
I will keep you safe.
Not wasted on Mountain.
Mountain cried out to Rain
as she left
I need you Rain,
I cannot live without you.
Rain turned back
shed her tears on Mountain
Sky became black, angry,
tossed lightning, roared thunder
I will come to you Mountain,
when Sky is upset,
black, gray and screaming
with thunder and lightning.
Mountain waits patiently
for Rain to burn Sky’s toast,
forget his slippers,
shrink his under shorts
copyright 2017
Wish I could have gone to Elko !!!!!
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Very nice!
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I am so happy-such a little gift-my mom said a gift should be useful, not get in the way, consumable, disposable, can be re-purposed–old Meiji era saying. Raijin and Fujin tenugui fit the bill and came just in time!
Evelynne
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That it did. Thank you, Evelynne. The Raijin & Fujin tenugui currently hangs inside the house, draped over my wall barometer in the office, cloaked in such a way I can’t read the barometer — some extra symbolism unintended I’ve left in place. If we get too much rain, I may have to fold it up and put it in a drawer for awhile.
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Yes-OMG! I am worried about flooding now! I will try to find another deity re saving from flooding-
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