Light reflected from raindrops

Rachel Adatia

Wondrous.
The sunlight
Slows and bends,
Seven colours revealed, a
Rainbow.

Ephemeral.
The rainbow
I can see 
Is different to yours.
Perception.

The Science

When sunlight passes from air to water (or a glass prism), it slows and bends. This process is called refraction. The light splits into different wavelengths and we see a spectrum of colours. Shorter wavelengths, at the blue end of the spectrum, are refracted more than the longer wavelengths at the red end of the spectrum. When sunlight passes from air into a round raindrop, it is refracted. The refracted light reflects off the back of the raindrop into the air to form (in certain conditions) what we see as a rainbow. The colours and shape of the rainbow perceived by any one person depends on their height and their position in relation to the rainbow.

Each stanza in this poem is written in the ‘elfchen’ form. An elfchen is a poem consisting of 11 words. The recipe, created by members of the ‘Storytelling and other arts’ Working Group of the European Citizen Science Association, is: 1st line, one word: an adjective; 2nd line, two words: a noun with an article; 3rd line, three words: an action of the noun; 4th line, four words that complement the action; 5th line, one word: a noun that closes the story. For an example of a collection of elfchen poems about citizen science see here.

The Poet

Rachel Adatia is a writer, editor and educator, with a focus on environment and development issues. She is experimenting with the ‘elfchen’ form of poetry and its potential to inspire reflection and initiate conversations as we seek to create communities that are kinder to people and the natural world. With a background in zoology, scientific book publishing and environmental work in the UK, she currently lives in South Africa.

Next poem: Macula lutea by C.W. Thompson