Nature's Fury/My Forgiveness

A rumble of thunder in the distance
Growing closer by the minute
The smell of ozone in the air
From the occasional lightning strikes
The air is dead still and oppressive
Not a leaf moves
No birds chirp
Not even a single dog barks

It’s like the whole world is holding its breath
Waiting for the heavens to shatter open
As Mother Nature does her best, it seems
To wash all of us puny humans
And our weapons of destruction
Off the face of the earth

The trees begin to come alive
In the freshening wind
Bowing in acknowledgement
Of the earth’s rightful Queen
Their waving limbs
Making grotesque shadows on the wall
In the rapidly dimming green half light
Of false nightfall
The harbinger of a storm
Of magnificent proportions
A killer storm of great magnitude

Most people are huddled in their homes
Telling themselves lies
That they are safe
Cowering under whatever furniture they have
Mistakenly thinking it will protect them
From the awesome fury of what’s outside

Where am I?
I am outside watching the storm
Rapidly roll across the sky in a straight trajectory
Heading directly at me
Like a giant misshapen bowling ball
Using the lightning for propulsion
Thunder to warn fools like me
To get the Hell out of the way

I stand my ground
Bracing myself against the wind
That threatens to blow me away
The next lightning strike is so close
I can feel the electricity
Make my hair stand on end
As it brushes across my skin

Then the full Glory of the storm
Breaks open the sky right over me
From one second to the next
I go from dry to soaking wet
Buffeted by rain and wind on all sides
I watch the lightning stretching and flashing
Playing a mad game of chase
Across the eerie green sky

I wonder absently what will most likely get me first
A tree falling or a lightning strike
But it matters not
As I exult in the display of raw power
That comprises all of Mother Nature’s Fury
Making me feel more alive than
I ever have before

I almost hate to see it end
But I know it must
No person or thing can sustain that kind of energy for long
Not even an element as strong as Nature
Nor can I

As the storm spends its anger
In a path of destruction all around me
Leaving me relatively untouched
I have the sensation of being reborn
My slate has been erased
Washed clean of all the anger and pain
That have been my constant companions so long
Perhaps my existence is naught but a false memory
That I had not lived until now
Birthed by the storm
That destroyed so much
But decided to save me
For what reason I don’t know

Whatever the truth may be
I just know that I am finally free
Able to forgive those who have wronged me
But most importantly
Learning to forgive myself

6/13/17 cv