The Thunder Rolling Softly

The thunder rolling softly
Light flickering the sky
A strobe of chaos and wonder
Soft sounds in the gutters flowing, trickling as the crickets sing
And I wonder1

The crackles joining the cicadas’ screaming
The cool breeze shifting, pushing as the trees begin their heavy sway
And I marvel
The rocker still as my eyes follow
The flashing silhouettes in the sky2

Trees moving
Clouds rolling
And beauty surrounds me3

Time stops, the sky flashes
The trees begin their dance
Arms opening to the coming storm
Surrendering4

Crackling rumbles find their way across the plains, the fields
Bringing with them power and life
Wind rising, trees shushing their lullaby5

Brilliant streaks of purple cross the sky
Flashes of brilliance and gone, but the thunder echoes their presence
They are real6

The cool night air is heavy with expectation
Still dark despite the never ending dance that lights the sky
The frogs and insects feel it and they sound their warning
And the fat drops come7

They tumble from the sky and make their way down, pattering
Each sound distinct as they strike the roof, the ground
The musk of cedar fills the air; brought out by rain, not yet covered by it
The drops come faster… each fumbling past the next
To make its way
And a line forms in the sky8

It creeps above the trees; deep and heavy… unstoppable
The breeze brings with it smells of grass and trees
The wind comes faster now
The trees shout in whispers
The rain is coming!9

The air turns cold now: the wind is heavy and I shiver
Splatters on splatters and gutters like rivers
The air is thick with it… the rain
A mist surrounds me, soaks through me10

The scent comes then… the one I wait for
And I breathe it in so deep
I let the scent surround me, the sounds, the feeling
Let the wind caress my face and blow my hair around me
I let the misty haze soak through, consume me11

I surrender to the storm
Like the trees, like the ground, like the now silent creatures of the night
The sky is dark, the stars forgotten – even they concede to the storm12

The thunder rolls, the pace quickens
The soothing sounds surround me and I breathe
Really breathe and feel the magic13

The ebb and flow of the sounds and the wonder rock me
As the earth sings this, her lullaby
The song, the storm like mother earth herself
Soft and strong and peaceful – powerful, nurturing
The rain soaks through me and I wonder