Irish woman Hannah Harris (née Whelan) left behind a collection of mostly unpublished writing upon her death in Dublin in May 2023.

In the wake of Hannah's death, her son Robert sought to preserve and share the stories, some of which vividly brought to life a bygone era, telling IrishCentral that his mother's writings are "largely about life as she experienced it in her youth in early-to-mid 20th Century Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. Glendalough is a historically significant rural location noted for its natural beauty as well as its monastic heritage. At the time, the people were still living without electrification and would have faced the seasons much as their ancestors had in preceding centuries."

Hannah’s other short stories included works of fiction which are also written with a unique warmth of tone, some of which drew inspiration from the same environment, such as “An Arrangement for Life” which focused on the tradition of arranged marriage, a tradition she would have seen amongst some of the elderly within her community.” 

Easing into Hannah's compendium of original material, we present this original poem entitled "The Rain."

This is the only poem by Harris received by IrishCentral. Her other works - both fiction and nonfiction pieces in varying lengths - will also be featured here on IrishCentral in due course.

Robert says that this poem, previously untitled, was handwritten by his mother. He believes it may have been written during the pandemic or shortly before, making it one of her newer pieces in the large collection.

The poem - just 36 words - was transcribed by Robert two months after his mother's death. The only edits to the poem were a single alteration and division into separate lines.

"The Rain" by Hannah Harris

There’s the Rain,

The blessed rain again,

But why should you complain,

Because it does so happen,

To spoil your picnic in the sun,

Imagine if you care,

The earth a dry cracked plane.

Stay tuned for more from The Hannah Harris Collection.