Monk Sweeps Wet Temple Steps Morning Rain

First rays of pale winter sun cut through a steady gray rain over the wet stone steps of a San Jose temple. A monk in dark robes bends forward, pushing a broom across slick gray slabs. Raindrops hammer the ground, creating a constant ripple of small splashes around the broom bristles. The stone glints with a dark, wet sheen, reflecting the dull sky above. Heavy wool fabric rests on the monk's frame, saturated by the downpour. Water streams off the bristles in thin, chaotic lines. Along the edge of the top step, one drop of water hangs from a chipped corner of the concrete, trembling before falling.