.
The monsoon shower had begun its violent fall.
The silhouetted range across coffee-colored Thanlwin
Had nibbled at the flaming sphere, leaving its mere meager chunk
Stranded upon its curved lips in its gloomy red aspect.
The fishing paddle swaying down in the fording
Became obscure and soon, vanished from vision,
Engulfed in the torrents of celestial tears.
On the abandoned river side, alone I stood among the hasty crowd,
Hiding from the bullets of rain under colorful umbrellas.
With my hair strands flattened by the constant splash
From the faded sky which had taken on a livid frown,
There I remained alone, convulsed with gasps of cold,
Feeling helpless without anything to protect my trembling self from the downpour.
The humid sea-born breaths sighed against my wet cheeks,
Pumping up my nostrils the putrid odor of mud
Down on the condensed delta that margined the river.
All of a sudden, I felt that I was under a shelter
When the surrounding world had forgotten to even pity my plight.
Surprise-stricken, I flicked my eyes up only to see
An old black umbrella over my head.
Then, I spun my head only to find behind me
A young beggar holding it for me, troubling himself in the pelting rain.
“Who are you?” I demanded, surprised.
“I am a human,” he mumbled out, struggling against the cold,
That seemed to have gripped all his little limbs.
I sensed my motionless lips bloom into a smile.
“Dear child, let us be together under the same umbrella,” I offered, caressing his forehead in fondness.
Along the drenched sidewalk that smelled of the fresh rain,
We ambled, huddling together under the same shelter.
The untamed wind softened into the gentle music of peaceful calmness.
Smiling, I held out my hand to touch the falling droplets outside.
The rain felt soft and warm and I felt warm inside.
That eventide, I knew I wasn’t really under the cocoon of his umbrella.
