We live in the City of London, in a flat thatโs almost entirely glass. On the balcony weโre growing orange trees and tomato plants, both thriving in the heat. We saved struggling tadpoles from a parched pond in our local wildlife garden and managed to return them as froglets during our one and only day of rain in early June. Not a single drop of rain has fallen since then.
In July, temperatures climbed above 34ยฐC for fourteen consecutive days, with 37ยฐC recorded at Kew Gardens. A severe drought was declared.
My poem Lovely Grey and the song Rattle My Rain Stick were inspired by that hot-as-Hades spell.
it hasnโt rained here
for weeks
no rain in gutters
no drips in drainpipes
no leaks
skies in london town
were once a lovely grey
like pigeon down
does it seem the same
to you
that now they stay
a constant hue
a blazing bright
azure blue
if i believed in a god
iโd offer a prayer
to him it or her
O mighty power
do your thing
dampen
earthโs dried up sod
and send us
grey clouds
raining
day after day
above thirty degrees
i yearn
for an arctic freeze
i donโt want to whine
but this is enough
sunshine
iโve rattled my
rain stick
and performed a ritual dance
O mighty force
if thereโs a chance
youโll send us rain
then iโll rattle my
rain stick
and dance
again
โLesley Scoble, July 2026
Here are two audio versions of Lovely Grey โ a spoken-word narration by yours truly, and a musical interpretation that took the poem in such an unexpected direction that I gave it a new title: Rattle My Rainstick.
Audio โ Lovely Grey โ spoken word
Narrated by me
Audio โ Rattle My Rain Stick โ song ๐ถ
A musical interpretation based on the poem Lovely Grey.
Thank you for stopping by โ I appreciate your visit.
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