Love Poem in the Year of the Rabbit

“ … A lone bird sings of love and pain
(Oh heart in sorrow garmented
There’s hope while song can hush the rain.)”
—an excerpt from Singing In the Rain by Countee Cullen, 1923
 
Banana Leaf Rain Song
 
Strong steady winds blow through big banana trees
increasing islanders ‘the typhoons coming’ fears
big rain drops play soft pitter patter symphonies 
beating time with thoughts of former typhoon tears
 
When some bad ones hit their time over us was brief
a path across the reef out to the Philippine Sea they led
still crop damage caused farmers and ranchers grief
some homes were destroyed but no one was dead
 
Along the beach chungé bird pairs on the look out
banana leaves now compose a more restless tune
in the boonies unknown birds sing and fly about
underneath dark skies comes a daytime rising moon
 
As typhoon rains buffet the houses’ window panes
I sing with birds and banana leaves to hush the rains.