Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall

 

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The Rainy Day

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

 The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldering wall,
But at every gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
My thoughts still cling to the mouldering Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

I am sitting at my laptop, looking out on to a very wet, grey, January afternoon. Squally rain showers are keeping me indoors where I'm safe and warm and enjoying being lulled by the music on BBC Radio 3. My heart goes out to any poor creature who it trying to survive outdoors right now.

Some may be glad of the Shipping Forecast. As someone who often keeps late hours, listening to Radio 4, I know that when I hear 'Sailing By' and the Shipping Forecast, it's time I went to sleep!

Click here to find out more about the Shipping Forecast.

Click here to find out more about 'Sailing By'.

Writing prompts:

• Is your life 'cold and dark and dreary'? Do you feel that the 'wind is never weary'? Set a timer for six minutes and write about it.
• Do you believe, like Longfellow, that 'behind the clouds is the sun still shining'? Write about how to see the sunshine, rather than the rain.
• Do you agree that 'into each life some rain must fall'? Does it fall more often and for longer for some?
  
• What do you do when you cannot sleep? Write down your strategies and perhaps share them as a comment below.