High Plains Laser Light Show

Concentrated lightning creates energetic, gnarly, skeletal claws underneath both the stars and the bright, sickle moon; and generates bright varieties of barbed, puncturing exclamation marks, taking their time to bore into the ground ahead in the nearby southeast, while we drive home from Dodge City.

Continuous, heavy-duty flashes silhouette distant rain, passing trees, farmhouses, electric poles, and a line of thick, storm clouds—all appearing like on an old movie film, one frame at a time—a natural laser light show, just begging for dramatic war music to play with, since, oddly, it does not produce any booming thunder of its own.

After an hour, we arrive home safely, and the weather station talks about hail up to a quarter-coin in size pummeling the earth under those clouds.

We looked at each other, suddenly feeling fortunate—fortunate to watch a formidable display of power and might without having to experience the damage; a gift not often handed out to people.

TR

At the Airport, June 8, 5:45 am

 

Weather’s storming

         (all over the US)

Tornadoes dropping

         (here and there in Kansas)

Flights cancelling

        (leaving the stranded)

 

Dad is dying

        (liver cancer, 6 to 12 months)

Husband’s crying

       (misses me for the week while I visit Dad)

Life’s so trying!

(it all happens at once, doesn’t it?)

 

TR

Reality Check

 

Heavy snowfall predicted

for tonight, tomorrow

that means Snow-Day but

walked by the window

an hour ago

sun shining

depressing me

just now checked again

high clouds but brightly lit

how can I say it precisely?

Glowingly gloomy

Predictions and reality

don’t always coincide

 

TR

New TV Series

 

Have you seen the new TV series called God’s Show?

It starts after dark; turn out the lights, open the curtains

and experience full-screen flashes of bright lights

rumble-rollings of bass drums, tapering off with snares

Zig-zag columns of vertical light pillars flip through

sheets of pouring water tapering off into sprinkles

Flashes, rumbles, fierce clashes of cymbols

Gets quiet, but wait it starts all over again

Usually no plot, no storyline, no actors

Just riveting action that lasts about an hour or less

Check for show times on the Weather Channel

 

TR

The Return of the Wind, or It Came Back

 

On vacation or

locked up somewhere

for over three months

Came back today

angry, ferocious, powerful

shaking tons of dust

loosening hair roots

and. we. just. washed. the. car.

 

TR