Invention Of The Umbrella

Invention Of The Umbrella
© Surazeus
2024 04 05

Tweet tweet tweet, I am a bird in the tree, 
the little girl dancing by the pool sings, 
tweet tweet tweet, I love to fly high and free, 
then hopping up and down she flaps small wings 
that she wove from feathers of white egret 
whose yellow eyes gleam in the bright sunset. 

Inside large workshop with tables of tools 
her father Lu Ban grins at her song words, 
then transcribes in bamboo book woodwork rules 
for designing kite that imitates birds 
composed of delicate skeleton frame 
because his children love to play the game. 

Sweeping up from swirling waves of the sea 
with assertive force of dark evening wind, 
black clouds that flash through lattice of her tree 
drench lake-side village with silvery rain 
refracting sunlight into rainbow beams 
that luminate the drawings of his schemes. 

Tweet tweet tweet, the bright rain drenches my hair, 
the little girl sings, crouching under leaves 
of lotus plants that tremble in the air 
as raindrops splatter them stiff as house eaves 
that shelter smiling child so she keeps dry 
while she gazes with black eyes at the sky. 

Gazing astonished at his clever girl, 
who holds lotus leaf firm above her head 
as she plays in the rain to dance and twirl 
with joyful laughter that revives the dead, 
Lu Ban begins to draw new instrument 
to shelter souls when rain is scintillant. 

Arranging poles in circle around core 
which imitates stiff stem of lotus leaves, 
Lu Ban constructs firm head-protecting score 
designed like bird wings with tutelar sleeves 
which shelters our body from drenching rain, 
propped by supportive strength of handle cane. 

Holding umbrella he designed with pride, 
Lu Ban strolls boldly down the market lane 
so shopkeepers and shoppers trying to hide 
gaze astonished as he walks in the rain 
yet stays dry under leaf-shaped instrument 
though the weather has become inclement. 

Tweet tweet tweet, I am a bird safe from rain, 
the little girl beside her father sings, 
tweet tweet tweet, I search lush meadows for grain, 
then hopping up and down she flaps small wings 
that she made from bamboo poles and silk gauze 
while everyone keeps dry with broad umbrellas.