Harenochiame – 晴後雨 はれのちあめ
An outdoor June wedding in the Pacific Northwest is always a crap shoot. You pick a date and hope the weather cooperates, or else don’t care whether it does or not. If a little rain (or an impending thunder storm) is going to ruin your special day, pick an indoor venue. But outdoors and June was the perfect option for a young woman named Kelsey June who loves nature. The weather forecast changed from thunderstorms to blue skies to intermittent rain showers every two hours or so. When the time for the beautiful riverside ceremony arrived (an hour late due to a train on the tracks that delayed the entire wedding party and guests) the sun was shining bright. As the festivities continued, there were periods of chill rain showers, some downpours, followed by blue skies again. I suppose the wedding day was a microcosm of the marriage itself, into which some rain and some sun will come in alternating bursts of life together.
Summer rain showers
Unpredictable as life
Nourish all that grows
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It’s Haibun Monday at dVerse Poets Pub and once again Toni is at the helm. We are writing about rain and are to title our poem one of the 50 Japanese words for rain. I chose harenochiame ( 晴後雨 はれのちあめ), which means clear then rain. As a traditionalist, Toni is asking for us to include a traditional haiku at the end of the haibun. I have complied, though the wedding my haibun is about was anything but traditional. I’ve included below a pictures of the newlywed couple.
Nicely philosophical.
So true! A lovely read!
You describe a wonderful wedding day and metaphor for married life…simply lover-ly!
Oh my! I love how you use the weather as a metaphor for the ups and downs of marriage.
“I suppose the wedding day was a microcosm of the marriage itself, into which some rain and some sun will come in alternating bursts of life together.” – not only is that true for marriage, but for life itself. Well done.
Thanks! I agree.
Beautifully written, Linda! Your haiku is excellent too. “Kelsey June” is such a beautiful name!
Profoundly wonderful in your depiction, Linda.
Oh you’ve captured the northwest weather so well here! And then to relate it to a married life — well done. Into each life some rain must fall.
Rain instead of confetti – romantic and ecologically sound!
How true.. hopefully we learn to take them both in our stride…
Awwww. Congratulations to the beautiful couple. A lovely piece, Linda.
Indeed it is and a little rain they say, brings good luck. One just have to pray very hard that the weather will be more cooperative if its held outside. That summer rain is precious though. Enjoyed the story and picture Linda.
Lovely! You can’t let the weather spoil your day – we English know that only too well 🙂
You are right, we need the rain. It is a lovely metaphor for marriage – those rain showers bring growth.
DaRK
liGht noW
aLL refLects
SuN oF God
cLouds
aS MooN
sAMe..
MiX
iS
iT..:)
I have heard it should be raining on a perfect wedding, but I do love the alternating view… exactly like rain itself. wonderful choice of rain word.
I’m smiling–this is just the perfect metaphor for life and especially marriage. But even in rain, there are moments of blue skies and rainbows.
Wonderful! I hope the couple does grow together. Excellent haiku about the rain and the growth and rain that does enter our lives. Thank you.