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Thursday, December 6, 2012

A Rainbow Gift


          There is always something interesting when one visits Robyn Hood Black’s blog, Read, Write, Howl.  Today is no exception, because she is hosting Poetry Friday!  Come join us to read some beautiful words.  Thanks to Robyn for hosting, and don’t forget to check out her new blog, Artsy Letters, all about creativity and sometimes talking about her new Etsy shop.  Beautiful things can be seen there!
Looks like night, but it was about noon.

         There is such allure about rainbows.  We wish upon them, we write songs about them, we use them to study weather, and we hope someday to find a pot of gold, and perhaps  meet a leprechaun, because we’ve finally made it to Ireland.  Today’s post is about the phenomenon I saw yesterday. Luckily I could take a photo quickly.  I found one possible explanation for what I observed yesterday (in my photo above).  It is called a “firecloud”.  According to a news report here, “They're given the colloquial name of "fire rainbows" and they are due to high, wispy clouds that are made of tiny ice crystals, and if the cloud is at the right angle to the sun, the crystals will refract the sunlight (much like a prism) into the colors of the rainbow. 
I was enthralled, and had to write a poem about this phenomenon.


          Rainbow Cloud

I glimpsed a piece of rainbow
yesterday;
I saw it as I walked into my school.
We don’t see many rainbows here
in Colorado;
They stay up in the clouds,
our weather rule.

Our clouds in Colorado
Are quite beautiful
We see them floating high
in luminous ways.
And if we had our wishes
come true for us,
We’d wish for rainbows
And trade a sunny day.

But this cloud near the sun
was raining buckets
or so it looked from
many miles away.
I saw its rainbow edge
and grabbed my camera,
I’m glad I took the shot.
It warmed my day.

          One site I read said sometimes when these fireclouds are seen, they foretell rain within 24 hours.  We haven’t had rain, but will have snow on Saturday, a blessing for us!

23 comments:

  1. Oh, how beautiful! I didn't know about these. Thank you for sharing your words and photograph - so glad to have curious friends in other places. (And thanks for the shout-out re. artsyletters - too kind!) :0)
    Enjoy your snow this weekend.

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    1. Thank you Robyn. I certainly am always curious, and this was just great to see!

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  2. That is so cool you were able to take a photo of it! I'd never heard of fire clouds before. I like how you captured this special experience in your poem -- your own pot of gold :).

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    1. Thank you Jama. I'd never heard of them either & wanted to find out what they were. So beautiful!

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  3. I saw a similar inverted rainbow for this first time in August this year - a bridge between Cumbria in the UK, where I was staying, and Colorado :-) I was transfixed too, and did have my camera to hand - but didn't manage a poem - and if I had, it wouldn't have been as beautiful as yours. I hope your snow comes.

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    1. Thank you for the compliment & for sharing that you too saw one. It really was amazing.

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  4. Beautiful! I read the Emily Dickinson poem with my eighth graders today where she talks about gathering Paradise. I suggested that noticing beautiful things around us is part of what that means. Thanks for sharing what you've gathered!

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    1. Oh, thanks Ruth. The noticing is important to me, & to try to share that with my students, too. I'll look for the poem; I'm not sure I know it.

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  5. Fire rainbows! Awesome! Thank you for sharing in pic and poem. Love!

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    1. Thanks Irene. I had another post planned, but this was just so special.

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  6. Just the name "Fire Rainbow" makes me want to know more. I'm so glad your photo shows this unusual sight and that you were moved to write a poem about the experience.

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    1. Thanks Joyce. It was just amazing to look up and see it. Breathtaking!

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  7. What an awesome sight...and to have captured it's beauty in a lovely poem, too. There is something surreal about that glow and the way the light is caught on the edge - iridescent and beautiful. Just lovely, Linda.

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    1. I truly was awesome to see, & I'm glad you could receive some of the delight of it, Tara. Thank you!

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  8. So glad your day was brightened by this gift! Wonderful catch!

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  9. I love these surprising rainbows made by the sun (a gift for all who take time to notice?) from the high ice in the atmosphere!

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    1. Perhaps we should all teach our students to look up once in a while? Thanks, Mary Lee.

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  10. What a neat observation. Love that you were able to capture it with your camera and in words. I have never heard of this beautiful type of rainbow. What a lucky sight!

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  11. Stunning photo and beautiful poem! So great when these brief moments are seen and then you were able to record it!

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  12. How did I miss this post of yours? Unbelievable! Haha. The photo warmed me too! Nature brings us so many gifts, thank you for constantly reminding us to be mindful. And grateful. And always be in awe. :)

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