The Rains Came

The floodgates of Heaven opened,
and the rains came.
I stood on the bridge
looking down at the rampaging river
as it exploded against the concrete and steel
bridge support,
and the rains came.
I saw childrens toys,
a doll, a ball, a teddy bear,
and kitchen utensils and clothing intermingled
with memories and heartaches,
and the rains came.
I saw a mattress,
the original water bed, as it bounced along,
'its soggy weight pulling it under,
the turbulence pushing it back to the surface,
and the rains came.
I saw a doghouse
being driven along as if some unseen driver
were out for a sunday drive, swerving
to the right, and to the left,
and the rains came.
I watched the flotsam
and the jetsam of peoples lives
rushing madly to a new home in the sea,
accompanied by invisable hopes,
and dreams unfulfilled,
and the rains came,
and came and came.
It was nineteen-forty-eight.