Silver Lining

As a child I watched the
Clouds’ mottled shadow-dance
on my bedroom’s windowsill
Outlining them with my finger until
They wispily disappeared

My mother would often say,
"Every cloud has a silver lining"
I always asked her what she meant
"Each cloud is seamed with
Its own silver lining, and
Sometimes the seam tears
Just a little

And when the sun hits the tear just right
Streams of color prism the sky in a rainbow
Pouring out from the broken seam

Within the clouds live tiny,
Beautiful, bell-shaped faeries
Who flit around in the foggy white
Measuring the weight of the clouds
With their ancient Alder wands
And when the clouds become too heavy
They prick each cloud just a little and
A&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp rush &nbsp&nbsp&nbspof iridescent pearls
Rain down onto the earth"

Silver Lining

I said to her it sounded silly.
"I’ve never seen it rain pearls!"
But she only shook her head,
"If you don’t believe in faeries
What you see falling down to earth
Will be nothing more than hail"