Sudden Thunderstorm
by Michael Doyle

When I left to go hike, the skies were clear.
I just wanted God and nature's path to be near.
Besides missing my daughters, my world had no care.
It turned out that this illusion was its own snare.

Having hiked Otter's Trail, there was still energy
Enough that it begged for another hike taken by me.
I drove through Versailles Park and found Orchard Trail,
I wondered to myself how I would find its unraveling tale.

Watching the baby squirrels jump high from limb to limb,
And the young chipmunks sprawling the ground like a jungle gym,
I tried to reassure them in the ways that I acted.
Maybe that's why I didn't notice and became overly distracted.

Suddenly, the woods were shadowed by a rude sense of darkness.
It seemed as though I could somehow feel the harshness.
The animals seemed at once to quietly nestle and disappear.
The birds became silent, and I knew that rain would soon be there.

A thunderclap sounded and carried with it the first lightning.
Looking at the skies, I realized it was ugly and frightening.
These were tornado skies, and I had a distance to my car.
I quietly prayed this would not prove to become too far.

The snakes of fire came crawling like twists of light,
Bringing a touch of brightness to this overly darkening night
Until a wrath of rain began its torrential downpour.
That's when my GPS decided to tell me something more.

To get home, I would be driving through the middle of the cell,
Where more than one tornado would add to my travails.
The winds began to pick up as drove fast watching buildings rock,
Straight-line winds pack more of a punch than to moan and talk.

By the time I had arrived home, the radio announcer had said
That over twenty-three people lost their lives and are now dead.
The carnage of tornadoes touched down throughout the heartland.
Shaken, I find this loving intention of God hard to understand. 

(c) May 17, 2025   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved