PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson
Last night, outside my bedroom window
the rain serenaded
a pitter patter lullaby to wash the day away
while I waited for gutter music
my favorite nocturne
when raindrops slide down, down, down
the roof
like children on a playground
each little raindrop
meandering along a metal path until
it plinks like a hundred tiny triangles
crescendos
and brings dreams of childhood
when I first listened to the rain
outside my bedroom window
twenty thousand nights later
I wake to sunshine
and think, “Life is good.”
THE END
86 Words
Thanks for the photo prompt, Dale Rogerson! I zoomed in straight to the gutter, which brought back memories of listening to the rain when I was a little girl. 🙂
Friday Fictioneers is a compilation of writers from around the world who gather online weekly, guided by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. The challenge? To write a story in 100 words or less based on a new photo prompt.
To read more stories in an online flash fiction anthology by Friday Fictioneer authors, click:
Jan Morrill Writes 
I loved “gutter music”
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Gutter music is still one of my favorite sounds, Neil. Thank you!
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I could hear the sounds rain makes as it comes in contact with solid things. I find it calming. Things quiet down. Just like snow.
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Ah yes! Snow! There’s a whole other story there. Just thinking of that silence calms me. (Cools me, too, amidst the 100+ degree temps here in Dallas!)
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Dear Jan,
I awoke to the same serenade this morning. Lovely poem. I liked gutter music, too.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I don’t get to hear this music nearly enough here in Dallas, Rochelle. It’s one of the things I miss about Fayetteville–the beautiful, long days of rain.
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Lovely lyricism to this piece, Jan.
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Thank you, Josh!
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I’m with you Jan, the sound of rain against the window (or in my case the holiday caravan roof) is a soothing childhood memory.
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I used to live in a house with a metal roof–a perfect amplifier of the music I loved. Lucky you!
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Now that I live in the south of France, the sound of rain makes me homesick!
I love the poem.
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My journey is not nearly as “romantic” as yours, CE. I can say the same, but insert “Texas” in place of France. 🙂
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Rain on the roof just makes me think how much it will cost to fix.
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The sound, the scent, the sight of rain. It certainly evokes different feelings in each of us!
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A lovely lyrical celebration of rain, and of a long life lived with joy. What a great affirmation of the beauty of life!
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Thank you, Penny! As long life lived with joy indeed! 🙂
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Beautiful lyrical poem. Loved some words such as plink, nocturne , pitter patter lullaby , guitter music .
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Thank you, Neel. I believe the “sound” of words can add “sound” to our writing. 🙂
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Loved the sight of rain splattering on the ground, the day washed clean. Thanks for recalling memories
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We wrote in different ways about the passage of life, with rain and rainbows, Michael. 🙂
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Lovely poem Jan, who doesn’t love these musical sounds that rain drops make.
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Thank you, Anurag. Nature has such beautiful sounds!
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A musical treat, rain is the life line of humanity so make every drop count.
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I often tend to feel this sentiment here in Dallas. Rain’s scarcity makes me appreciate and look forward to every teasing drop. Thanks for reading and commenting, James!
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Wonderfully descriptive Jan
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Thank you, Keith. 🙂
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I love the image of raindrops in a gutter pipe as little children sliding down a slide. I also like the circular structure of the poem : how you begin, listening to the rain today, and end, listening as a child. And we see that it is good.
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This is beautiful. The words are lyrical and make me think of and long to hear rain.
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Loved the words you used!
“Gutter music” was killer! 😀
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Absolutely beautiful, Jan.
Love that you focused on the gutter… these prompts are great to see what people see!
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Beautifully poetic, Jan. Made me remember enjoying the rain on a hot summer day in Minneapolis when I was a little girl.
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Just lovely, totally evocative of the comforting sound of rain from inside a warm and peaceful home.
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Wonderfully lyrical.
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