I hear the distant rumble of an approaching storm and the excitement begins to grow. As the moments pass dark clouds tumble across the sky. The wind quickens, getting stronger, swirlling through the trees. The storm nears and its voice grumbles with warnings of its approach. Flashes of light can be seen brightening the sky and the excitement grows. Rain begins slowly, a drop here, there, then rapidly becomes a downpour soaking everything in its path. Blowing like an angry bull the wind tears through the trees, bending branches, pulling at the leaves, the trees swaying back in defiance. The storm is almost here, lightning threads its way across the sky, thunder resounds through the heavens and the excitement grows. The rain slakens giving way to the main body of the storm and the tormented clouds that give it life. Suddenly a bolt of light, nearly blinding in it intensity, its fingers reaching, searching for a place to release its charged existance. The flash real, exciting, an awesome creature of unbridled power, gone in an instant, before it is even seen, its impression remains imprinted upon my eyes. The sound of its quest, beginning like the crack of a whip, grows in volume, reverbrates through the countryside. Before the sound of the first brilliant display rumbles to its conclusion another flash of lightning hurtles itself across the sky and the sound of its flight crashes around me. In rapid succession more flashes, like liquid silver, and thunder, crashing and booming, assault my senses, seem to shake the very earth. The thrill and fascination of the awesome spectacle before me, the energy, potential destructive power, becomes reality and I move back under the overhang that protects me from the rain. Soon, almost as quickly as it started, the intensity diminishes, the wind becomes a cooling breeze, the rain ceases and the storm drifts away. I am left in the quiet aftermath as the sun breaks through thinning clouds. I hear the distant rumble of thunder and thoughts of the natural drama I have just experienced flash through my mind. |
c 1991 JB Amodeo |
O |
Storm clouds from terrace, Phoenix, AZ |
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