April was hot and dry.

The red earth responded
by blowing as dust in the wind.
The green earth responded
by smothering itself with flowers of a thousand colours.

The Water Board responded
by banning hosepipes
and promising to charge more
for redistributing the rain
(if it comes).

Butterflies appeared early.
A full moon hung above the ocean like a portent.
A comet lit up the north-western skies for two weeks.

And
in truth
absolutely nothing
happened.

Shadows
slid across
the shining screen.

.