museletter #8

rain. also dog!

Author

Sam Nelson
May 20, 2024

hi it rained a lot this week so here’s an appreciation poem about it! I had fun trying to cram in as much wordplay as possible. an english teacher would probably have a field day forcing their class to analyse it. also my first sonnet, I feel like a legitimate poet now.

rain sonnet

You pirouette through puddles as you go,
A-dripping, dropping, splashing on your way.
Each pitter-patter whispers a hello;
The gargoyles greet; the window wipers wave.
You promenade through freshets as you flow;
The earthworms writhe and beckon your descent.
Cascades of hail, drizzle, sleet, or snow
Precipitate a petrichorus scent.
The light bows to your rain in reverence;
The solid ground is mulchèd at your feet;
A dulcet drone of demisemiquav'rs;
The world's a ballet dancing to your beat.
    Did you fall from the heavens? nimbus clouds
    Gather in the sky; the sun enshrouds.

so far I’ve managed to make every artwork for these emails in a different medium (we’ve had weaving, watercolour, collage, lino print, acrylic paint, song, and pen). this week I delved into the mostly defunct art of quilling, in which little strips of paper are rolled and glued. felt like I was making a greeting card.

in other news,

I’m dogsitting this week! this is duke, my aunt’s pomeranian. having to take him out in the mornings has been great for my sleep schedule and my soul. he’s currently staring at me and waiting for me to finish writing this email so he can demand butt scritches. he’s as entitled as his name suggests.

I decided this strawberry shirt needed to be an inch shorter moments before heading outside. I wore it to go eat savoury crepes and get my eyes tested (they’ve gotten even worse somehow. I am quite blind). also I just liked this outfit. picnic vibes

more dog content

I went to the hammock market, a thrift fest that happens in sg every other saturday. I’d been meaning to go for ages but only just got round to it. the air smelled rather strongly of unwashed clothing but there were some gems.

got this shirt and bandana there. now that I own a bandana I can get away with not washing my hair which is an exciting prospect

took duke out for lunch

books

this week I read:

the handmaid’s tale - margaret atwood
★★★☆☆
this was fine, not really my thing. I’ve read better feminist dystopias – although this one was written in the 80s, so it was probably doing something newer back then as a pioneer in the genre. now looking at the regressing state of womens rights in america it hits a little too close to home.

music

some songs I have on repeat:

  • birds of a feather - billie eilish
    been loving this new album! I’ve been listening to billie since her mahogany session in 2017 and in that time she’s gone from soft ukulele to dancey music and I’m so here for it. you can hear how much Fun her and finneas had making this album. the transitions are so extra but they still hit every time. this one is perfect for walking to on sunny days. I live in the tropics so this is an activity I tend to do a lot.

  • the wheel - uk
    most people probably won’t like this one. but if you’re a former choir kid who enjoys experimental chamber pop you will Love this!

  • whenever, wherever - minnie riperton
    almost as good as shakira’s song of the same name. tyler has formed a habit of pillaging my playlists and passing my music taste off as his own, so now I’m doing it back (thanks tyler for the rec). minnie had a crazy five-octave vocal range; at first I thought I was hearing a high monosynth part in the intro but no, this was the 70s and synths were barely invented yet, it’s just minnie with her angelic whistle tones.

you can reply directly to this email! please do so if you have any inclination. okay bye I’m going to go pet the dog now.

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