Considering As

We sat together on the train headed to the Amsterdam airport. The rain was pouring in earnest (when has it stopped recently?) as the engine hustled along the tracks.

"Look" I said to him and pointed toward the way the rain was streaking along the windows of the train.

Rather than meandering paths of water dripping and curving over the pane, the streaks ran parallel to the train itself. Rainstreams sliding in quick rhythm across the glass, the car propelled straight into the rain and bore down against the wind. I could feel the urgency of both the rain and the movement of the train, strong forces both, and sensed the forward motion of the train which seemed to dominate with its push against the onslaught of the storm.

We watched together in silence for a moment and then he asked "Do you see a photograph?"

"No," I replied, "I see a metaphor".