wild weather

sunlight shimmering
hazy over darkness, grey
clouds gathering swift
to mountains high
almost black, broiling
skimming, skating
racing across the endless sky

whirling, swirling
tumbling, ecstatic
in muted light
pouring itself out
into innocent eyes
open wide, staring
past the window
lips clouding the pane
mother! mother!
look, there!

a muted flash, sharply soft
a warning, first
of more to come
a rumble of sound
like a beast of old
rolling, roaring, above the dark
so heavy, so close
looming so low
yet above, a glow
bright, thundering
the ancient gods
hurling bolts oncemore –

a crack, a flash
the ear-splitting break
of light electric
connecting the ancient
to ground unknown
a pillar of power
sudden, sharp
making the young innocent
gasp and jump

shocked to see
light untamed
so bright, so bold
look! did you see?
there! there!
more and more
violent lines
jagged blades
all at once, exploding
in deafening sound
jabbing, jarring
the whole horizon
until a world awake
falls silent in awe and wonder.

and the child watches
wide-eyed
the glass pane clouded
seeing, believing
knowing this is very much real
always present, for all to see
fantastic, sublime
a gift almost, but frightening?
a laugh, oh no:
incredible, unbelievable, divine.