An Umbrella Without Rain Poem by MOHAMMAD SKATI

ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS AN UMBRELLA IN THE HANDS OF A PASSER BY TRYING TO FIND A CLOUD SO RAIN MIGHT COME. BUT, INSTEAD RAIN REMAINED IN THE CLOUD, AND THE UMBRELLA IN THE HANDS OF THE PASSER BY. STREETS AND ROADS GOT DUSTY. NO RAIN CAME THOUGH THE CLOUD WAS PREGNANT AND HEAVY. NO LIGHTENING OR THUNDERSTORMS HAPPENED FOR LONG TIME. THE FARMER'S LAND GOT DRY. EVERYONE LOOKED UP AND EVERYTHING LOOKED UP TO THE SKY. NOT EVEN ONE DROP FELL ON THE GROUND OR RAIN FELL TO FILL UP THE LOWER LANDS. BAREFOOTED AND EMPTY-HANDED I PRAYED FOR HEAVEN TO LET RAIN FALLS. ALONE I WAITED FOR RAIN TO FALL EVERYWHERE. A PREGNANT CLOUD PASSED BY ME AND NO RAIN HAPPENED. I HELD THE UMBRELLA TIGHT IN MY HAND. I GRABBED THE UMBRELLA ONCE MORE IN MY HAND HOPING THAT RAIN MIGHT COME WITH ANOTHER PREGNANT CLOUD. IN MY HEART I FELT THE RAIN, BUT IN MY HAND THERE WAS AN UMBRELLA AND NO RAIN HAPPENED. I WAITED IN VAIN FOR THE CLOUD TO RAIN, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED AND THE UMBRELLA REMAINED IN MY HAND. I YELLED LOUDLY: ' AN UMBRELLA WITHOUT RAIN. AN UMBRELLA WITHOUT RAIN.' O MY GOD! O MY GOD! BUT ONE DAY RAIN WILL COME AND THE UMBRELLA WILL BE USEFUL.