Who hoards rain clouds in the desert?

~ Rajani Radhakrishnan

There the universe stores vats of virgin happiness, doling
it out like a grim faced Scrooge, while we wait, bowl in

hand, wanting more. Always wanting more. We are made
of longing and hunger. And everywhere we look, is a giant

supermarket feeding that emptiness. Everything in excess,
marked down, on luscious display, the seed of the first apple

feverishly multiplying on every shelf of every aisle and our
hands reaching constantly to fill the ever growing void. Except

for happiness. For that, there is a line and a quota and a price.
We pretend not to see each other. Who will admit to such

privation? We study the signs from a distance. Perhaps, it
is another sorrow, another wound, another word that brings

you here. Does my skin turn transparent as I stand? Do you know
the scars inside? You will not turn your head. I will not call. How

much longer? Who hoards rain clouds in the desert? No one
warned me to save my smile. To save the light in your eyes.

46 thoughts on “Who hoards rain clouds in the desert?”

  5. There is too much of a muchness in big stores. I am happy in my village where we have one small CoOp grocery, not much shopping is possible. Life is basic and focused on other things and it sure suits me. I am out in a small city right now, we went into a big store and i found it impossible to shop….too big, lol.

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  9. “Who hoards rain clouds in the desert?”
    A stirring oxymoron to title our consumerism and greed. I luv this poem from title to end dot

    Rajani happy you dropped by my blog today

    Much💛love

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  11. “We are made
    of longing and hunger. ”

    If only we saved the clouds and the smile–our very own smile, our very own sun and rain. Power. But who ever knew the supermarkets wouldn’t carry these necessities? That we would have to strengthen our spines in the drought and make it alone? The supermarket can seem like a desert, indeed.

    I love how you bring all of this together in one wide net!

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  12. I knew nothing of serenity and contentment until I gave up drinking (searching for Golden Moments in a bottle) and heard in an AA meeting that happiness isn’t getting what you want but wanting what you have. Our consumer nightmare is that fixation on the Golden Moment which could never suffice, is meant to keep us unrequited and famished. You built this poem’s scaffolding so well, arriving at its truth — that true happiness was not what we have been taught — with a sense of rain starting to fall in the desert. Well done.

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    1. We let the rain fall in the desert because it is so rare and short-lived. But if someone had told us it would be the last rain..maybe we would have held on to those clouds.. though what purpose would that serve? The quest for happiness is the chase after a moving target. The mindfulness mantra of here and now and what is available is a steep hill to climb! Thanks so much Brendan.

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  13. kaykuala

    Who hoards rain clouds in the desert? No one
    warned me to save my smile. To save the light in your eyes.

    It is just not easy to please someone nice. One may not be certain on what is to be done!

    Hank

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  19. what an interesting introduction to this piece –
    does the universe *really* dole out drops of happiness, preferring to hoard it?
    I wonder ….
    I wonder –
    and if we are so desperate – are we *really* waiting – bowl in hand?
    I wonder ….
    I wonder –

    This is an interesting poem for the questions it poses – the ideas and sentiments expressed; and you’ve set it up with a fascinating tension, of conflict within itself –

    I’m not sure if this was intentional in your thought/writing process, or whether the words came as they did, and your direct action of shaping them was less “involved” – if you know what I mean by this, but I’m left with a weird sense and feeling of being firmly “displaced” – in this “other” zone – where certainly happiness seems elusive, evasive almost –
    but I stop and say, “really?” …

    this has some very interesting ideas happening here, that I have to say, intrigue me – in the best of ways though, and I’m not sure whether I’m “on board” or not – and that’s all good; a wry smile is dancing across my face and I’m rather enjoying it – for this is a bit like a barb under the skin – and I like the ending of the poem so much – “No one
    warned me to save my smile. To save the light in your eyes.”

    thrift? thrift? indeed ….

    very layered and subtly complex – 🙂

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    1. Thank you Pat. An interesting question and yes, the words came as they appear, very few edits. When I start over-editing a poem, I end up throwing it away! And I think the skepticism you feel is wonderful, if everyone felt that happiness was not freely available, we would all be in a sad place indeed. So, the disagreement only creates more hope!

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      1. thanks for sharing the process of the writing – I appreciate it. 🙂

        I was just re-reading your poem, again, for like, I don’t know how many times now – I still like that I “dance” with it – that it forces me to “double take” right off the bat, and then sit, with it, in my subconscious, as I’m drawn into the story … it’s just a wonderful way to muse along here …. so however it comes to be, I really am digging it. 😀

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          1. I have been mulling the PU- thrift one too – and will be linking tomorrow as well, but I wrote something completely different for it … but “thrift” is such an interesting word – a rich starting point … 😀

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  21. Ah, the materialist instinct imbibed in us, which is depicted by the presence of void even when the shelves are running over and we pick and consume all and everything to fill ourselves up, can never provide the satisfaction that we desire. This is a thoughtful rumination over what it requires to be happy, of the emptiness of our lives and of hoarding “rain clouds in the desert”.
    “For that, there is a line and a quota and a price.”: Very well put.

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