STEPPING THROUGH THE RAIN. It was a long hot summer The ground was dry and parched It really was quite a bummer The plants were bent and arched. The sun had beaten down all day The Moon and stars by night Not one cloud came our way To hide that hot sun-light. Since early May in seventy six Till September that same year Water was pumped by hydraulics And water laws b’came austere. Hosepipes were banned in gardens Lawns became brown earth As the beds of river & lake hardens Of water t’was a’great dearth Standpipes in the street Toilet-flushing decreased Sharing of baths became a’treat Water use heavily policed. One September darkened PM Caught in a country lane Electric storm brought mayhem And we were stepping through the rain. © Chris Phillips 7 May 2006 (I wonder how many people remember that summer of 1976 in England)