Where are the Winter Rains?

Northern California, February 2014

How dry the ground we'd long since ceased to touch.
How brown our valley's guardian mountains;
How fragile the nibble and creep of green
Under relentless sunshine;

We'd gotten in cars and rushed
To Valley Fair Mall, to the office,
Even to Living Waters Church,
Hadn't noticed - or anyway, minded much -
Til the San Jose Mercury News told us:

Drought.
Wash less.

How foolish, how suddenly frivolous
The putt putt waterfalls and lawn fountains!
And now, what else must we question?

As if we'd been mumbling - droning - prayers,
To have our priest tell us, after four hundred years,
"He's been silent, all this time - "

Oh Christ,
When will it rain?