Desert Rain: A Soundtrack
Layers of cloud cover the sky, swirling into a witches brew of grey. Big, fat raindrops burst and explode against window panes, leaving watery trails in their wake. With time the drizzle turns into a symphony of sound. High notes bounce off the carport roof, low notes gurgle through spouts. Waterdrops trickle off grass and treetops, huddle in puddles and saturate the windblown desert sand. The smell of wet earth replaces the choking scent of dust.
Listen To The Rhythm of the Falling Rain – The Cascades
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The melodic voices of children dance and twirl on the cool breeze. A boundless energy echoes off perimeter walls and escapes into the glistening streets.
Laughter In The Rain – Neil Sedaka
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Thunder rumbles in a moonless sky. Occasional flashes of lightning reveal a drenched landscape.
I Love A Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbitt
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Chocolate brown water ripples and rushes down the wadi. The sudden and unexpected deluge drags everything along that lies in its way. Pebbles, tree branches, boulders. Only a snaking concrete dam wall breaks the frolic of unruly joy. It captures, embraces and holds this finite life-force to gently soak into the thirsty land, filling the empty, cavernous aquifers human need and greed depletes.
Fall Like Rain – Eric Clapton
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Dark asphalt roads morph into rivers of deceptive depth and cunning. Drivers easily lose control in the unfamiliar weather. Accidents litter the roads.
Blame It On The Rain – Milli Vanilli
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Water drips, pools and floods into indoor spaces; finding ingenious ways of entering the cocoon of coveted dryness. Out comes mops, old towels and an assortment of containers in a desperate effort to dispel the wetness.
Why Does It Always Rain On Me – Travis
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Engines strain and misfire, groan and jump, leaving deep etches on the wet faces of the dunes. Thrill seekers abound, filling the desert with the smell of adrenaline.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains – Garbage
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The lofty tops of date palm trees sparkle in the sunlight. Washed clean of the grit and grime that usually cling to them, the leaves float weightless in the cobalt sky. A palette of green paints the landscape: lime, khaki, avocado, emerald, and jade. The envy of any artist.
After The Rain Has Fallen – Sting
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The early morning sun bounces off the rust red dunes, tinting streaks of cloud a dusty pink. A mirror of colour in the motionless landscape.
Purple Rain – Prince
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I so enjoyed reading this – truly poetic and rich. Think I’ll scroll up and re-read.
Glad you enjoyed it Safia. I treasure every moment of a rainy day in the desert. It is as if my soul thirsts for these rare days.
beautifully written and I like the song references 🙂
Thank you Lynda.
Beautifully written, Jolandi. Very poetic indeed.
Thanks June.
Reblogged this on Author Kristin Anderson and commented:
Nature is an inspiring force. Rain, which is an almost daily part of my Dutch landscape, is something I take for granted. But in a desert land? It is majestic. I love how this post from Dreaming in Arabic uses beautiful prose to describe the rain, intermingled with references to songs that relate to rain. thus the reblog.
Love this post. just reblogged.
How kind of you Kristin. Thank you.
Loved this post Jolandi. What an unusual take to mingle the poetic imagery with song references. It must be magic indeed to experience the rain in AD.
Thanks Gwendoline. It really is magical, and it is quite amazing how the general feel of the place changes. I love how everything is washed clean. It doesn’t last long before it gets all dusty again, but the freshness lingers for a quite a while in my memory.