Two Poems Written This Evening.

Tornado Song

By C.K.Armistead
5/24/2013

The sky grows dark
The winds whip up
Then eerily die down.
The birds disappear
The quiet is unnerving.
Then the thunder starts,
And the winds whip up again
And the rain and hail
Pelt the earth with fury.
And the storm opens
Its horrible maw
And the tornado teeth
Come and chew up the land.
Sometimes only trees
Sometimes houses
And lives.
So capricious it is
About what it will eat
And what it will leave
Untouched.
One house completely gone
Next door, only a broken window.
Three times they have come
Since we've been here
And every time
We have been lucky.
Our house wasn't appetizing
To the monster.
But every Oklahoman
Knows the fear,
And watches the clouds
With cold dread.
All have warning radios
All keep the news tuned in.
Most of us know our neighbors
And will take note of who
Is home or not
Before the storm gets too close.
Some call and offer their storm shelter,
Especially to those with kids.
When the storm has passed,
If the outcome is bad,
We hug each other,
Count our blessings
Survey the losses,
And find a way to go on.
For we can't let the monster win.
Love and hope are stronger
By far
Than ANY storm.


 One Day Of Peace
By C.K. Armistead
 5/24/2013

In a world suddenly
Turned almost inside out
(In some cases, literally)
One peaceful day
With nothing much to do
But enjoy the sunshine
The birdsong
A good book
A cup of tea
Is a blessing beyond price.
Others do not have
This luxury just now.
They must sift
Through the wreckage
Of their lives
Finding memories
Mud-splattered
Among the rubble
That was once a home.
I wish for them all
That their peaceful day
Will come sooner than they think
With new memories
Waiting to be made
In a home that stands
With all hope
Against the Oklahoma wind.