Late riser — Summary

Dave BontaContemplative

rain in the garden another contented bed

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Dave Bonta's "Late riser" is only a few words long, but it holds a whole small scene. It's raining, and the speaker is in no hurry to get up. The title tells us someone is lingering, and the last line, "another contented bed," lets us see why. The rain falls on the garden, and the speaker stays warm and cosy indoors.

The clever part is the word "bed." It sits right after "garden," so we first picture a flower bed being watered. Then the line turns it into the speaker's own bed, and perhaps the garden's beds are happy too. The rain nourishes the plants, while the sleeper enjoys the sound of it. Both are content in their own way.

The mood is gentle, lazy, and quietly pleased. Nothing needs doing, and the poem seems to say that's fine. It's the pleasure of a slow morning, captured in three short lines.

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