I went to the river early
Before even the water got there
In between each bank was a void, a blank, thin air.
Then without so much as a gurgle, a trickle or splash
The water was suddenly there.
Becoming annoyed I shouted out loud, “Just what’s going on ‘ere?
A surprising reply said, “I’d not finished colouring it in.”
“What do you mean, I don’t understand,” was all I could say.
“There’s a team of us do it every morning before break of day.”
“But isn’t it just light, light from the Sun,” I said a little surly.
“No it’s our job you were so exceptionally early before I ‘d got it done.”
The pleasant voice continued thus,” “Please don’t tell anyone or make a fuss
Or I’d be in trouble ‘cos it happened once before.”
“Do you remember Moses and the Red Sea well that was me.”
“Well pleased to meet you Moses,” I replied somewhat overawed.
“No I am not he I was the one who missed colouring some sea and left the sand
And that’s how he made it to the Promised Land.”
“Well that’s not so bad, it worked out well,” I replied.
“It was what happened next that got the Big Man vexed,” and he sighed.
“I was so keen to finish the scene that I drown all the Egyptians behind.”
“Well the Big Man forgives but never forgets and I was immediately demoted,
I spent a thousand years doing nothing but drawing raindrops each one individually denoted.
Millennia past and I got a break designing the new snowflake.
Then three centuries ago onto rivers and streams I was eventually promoted.”
I cheerfully replied “No one hears about this from me,
and I hope one day there will be your handiwork in some great lake or inland sea.”
He left me with a sign a perfectly aligned glow of a double rainbow.
(Mick Kilgallon)
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