Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Last Rain

The sky is electric, but down here we are sodden. This will be the first and last rain for me for quite a long time, one day of damp between deserts. On one overcast day when I was young, I remember invoking the gods of ancient Egypt, kneeling by an apple tree with my friend who was named for the woods, and pleading for rain. They didn't grant our request, in fact the sun almost immediately came out, which should have come as little surprise to us. Those immortals brought nothing but sun to Egypt, why should they have responded differently for us?

Despite the apparently inapt choice of desert gods for our rainy request, my woodsy friend and I would never have bothered with any more appropriate deities for our playful summons. We were obsessed with Egypt, and at least one of us still is.

Tomorrow I fly to Egypt to dig at an archaeological site in ancient Thebes (or more ancient Waset), a scenario which, as a child, would have seemed as fantastic, thrilling and impossible as conjuring up rain clouds.

Thunder has just announced the abating of the rain, so I need to scramble home while I can...to be continued in drier climes.



2 comments:

  1. Becky!!! Oh my gosh, your mom just left a comment on something I wrote for a magazine called Poecology. There have been so many weird spam messages for that article that I didn't believe this was a real one until I clicked on the link to your blog, and I almost passed out I was so excited! (It's Sylvia here, your friend named for the woods :). This is so beautiful, this website, your writing is just stunning. You're in Egypt! This gives me chills. I still am obsessed too, though not as actively. Tell me your email address, so I don't go on and on here and pollute your blogspace with my excitement and just embarrass you in front of all your blog readers. It is so lovely to encounter your writing unexpectedly. I've been wondering what you were up to! Love, Sylvia.

    P.S. Come visit my blog too.... theindigovat.blogspot.com

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    1. My friend! I can't tell you how glad I am to hear from you! I asked my mom if she could get me your address (I see she went a tad further haha) so I could write you a letter after I *ahem* um...stalked down and was completely charmed by your piece in Poecology (I wasn't sure if you read the comments personally and didn't want to be the goof ball who uses a sophisticated literary journal to gush at my buddy :)). You, however, have nothing to worry about as the only person who'll be embarrassing me on this blog is me, and you would be the only reader so I'm happy to do so!

      Let me wait to tell you how much I adore everything you are doing when I pop back over to your blog (spectacular!) and cook up a saccharine mess in your comment box.

      Until, well, until I get internet access again,
      Becky

      becky.caroli at gmail.com

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