Spring Rain at Big Stone Point

THEY SPIN AND DANCE A PONDEROUS BALLET AGAINST A DUSKY SUNLESS AFTERNOON SKY. GALE FORCE WINDS WHISTLE THROUGH A ROW OF BLUE SPRUCE SENDING FORTH A FRESH BREEZE, LADEN WITH PINEY DRAFTS THAT OVERPOWER THE FAINT, YET CLOYING SCENT OF FISH. CHAINS RATTLE
A SCRATCHY HIGH PITCHED CLANG AS THEY BOUNCE ALONG THE BOOM AND MAST OF THE BEACHED CHERRY RED CATAMARAN.

FROM MY OFFICE WINDOW I WATCH THE WIND WHIPPED WAVES OF BIG STONE LAKE.
DRONING LAKE-SIDE LIFE REACHES A CRESCENDO, THEN DRIFTS SOFTLY BACK INTO A MOSTLY INAUDIBLE RUMBLE.

NEXT, AS IF PLAYING THEIR PARTS IN A GRAND SYMPHONY,
THE BOOMING SPLASH AND GURGLE OF SURF RESUMES ITS NEVER ENDING TIDAL WAR OF WATER VERSUS LAKESHORE.

SMALL TAN AND CAMO
FISHING BOATS CLUNK

AGAINST THEIR MOORINGS. WITH EACH PITCH AND YAW
THEY SURF THE WAVES LIKE

HAWAIIAN HULA DANCERS.

REASSERTING
ITS AUDITORY DOMINANCE,

BIG STONE LAKE PUMMELS
THE MILKY SHROUD OF SMALL STONES WHICH SKIRT

JAGGED WHITE STREAKS SUDDENLY LACE THE LIME AND DARKLY LAVENDER SKY. PROTRACTED SECONDS LATER COMES THE REVERBERATING PEAL OF THUNDER. SOON THE PATTER OF RAIN,
LIKE A THOUSAND QUIETLY DRUMMING FINGERS, TAPS A RHYTHMIC REVILLE THAT SKITTERS LIKE MARCHING SPIDERS ALONG ROOF TILES AND WINDOW PANES.

THE GREAT GRAY AND TAN BOULDERS THAT LINE THE COAST OF

BIG STONE POINT.

LIKE A BLUEBERRY CRÈME PIE
WITH MOST OF THE MERINGUE LICKED OFF, THE FOAMY WAVES OF

BIG STONE LAKE

BUCK AND SKIP IN THE RISING WIND.

ROILING LIKE THE CONTENTS OF A BOILING CAULDRON, THE LAKE SEETHES, CHAOTICALLY HURLING MURKY BROWN WHITE-CAPS AND INKY BLUE WAVES ACCORDING TO THE VAGARIES OF THE WIND.
BENEATH A GREEN-LEAFED DECIDUOUS BACKDROP

FOR A MOMENT THERE IS A HUSH AND THEN THE RAINS BECOME A TORRENT OF KETTLE DRUMS, CLASHING SYMBOLS, TENSION BARS,
PULSATING MARACAS AND A BULL FIDDLE MOANING OF WIND THAT RATTLES THE WINDOWS WITH WATERY CLAWS.

(May 31st, 2010), Wayne T. O’Conner

THE WATERS WAIT.
LONG CHARCOAL PUFFBALL CLOUDS

Vocabulary list on back

FLOAT MAJESTICALLY

ABOVE LAKE AND FOREST.

LIKE DERVISH VAPOR ELEPHANTS 

Vocabulary list: Roiling (rapid movement of water that stirs up sediment) Vagaries (erratic unpredictable manifestation, plural form) Deciduous (trees that shed leaves seasonally) Dervish (one that dances with wild abandonment) Ponderous (unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size) Cloying (excessive or irritating scent) Catamaran ( twin hulled sail boat) Camo (short for camouflage) Yaw (nautical term for side to side movement) Protracted (delayed or deferred) Reveille ( a bugle call, signal) Skitter (move quickly and lightly) Tension bars (segment of music in a movie used to increase viewers anxiety) Maracas (percussion instrument often made from gourds)