“It takes a raindrop approximately seven minutes to fall to earth from a 4,000 meter high cloud.” NASA Global Percipitation Measurement
At dawn
a raindrop begins its descent.
The journey will take seven minutes.
Somewhere in the distance
grocery store lights flicker on,
a clerk straightens boxes
on a cereal shelf.
Just down the block
an attendant turns on
the island of gasoline pumps.
Around the corner
grills are wheeled out
in front of the hardware store,
anticipating warmer weather.
Street lamps
begin to flutter out,
as the sun
pulls itself over the horizon.
At the marsh,
I am already deep in the woods
heading toward the bright sound
of a red-headed woodpecker
at work.
Around me —
common yellow throats,
Carolina wrens, black-capped chickadees,
Easter bluebirds,
great horned owls
build a chorus
as the raindrop
hits a supple new leaf.
*inspired by Billy Collin’s “Winter Trivia”.
A Reading Life 
That’s a lot in seven minutes. And who knew that’s how long it takes a raindrop to fall?! I loved: the sun pulls itself over the horizon, the bright sound of a red- headed woodpecker at work, and the raindrop hits a supple new leaf!
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oh wow, this is so original! I am reeling from being taken into that duration of time it takes a drop of rain to fall. The science geek in me loves this, and the poet loves all the images of a place waking up. It sort of reminds me of a children’s book, about the city waking up, or the pond waking up. I love this piece.
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Great imagery! Especially, “Street lights fluttering out and the sun being pulled over the horizon”.
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Favorite line: as the sun / pulls itself over the horizon.
I love the list of all the workers getting ready for the day at the same time as the birds are singing as the same time the rain drop falls! SUch a great way to really understand that NASA fact about the time it takes for a drop of rain to fall. A new favorite poem!! So glad you decided to write on a Tuesday! Blue sticker for you for sure!
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