Nightburst

By Cliff Lake

 

Nightburst

 

Stark silhouette,

Flashed hard and approaching,

And the sky splits,

And weeps again.

What beast roars here?

What outcry overhead?

What hard breath carries the turmoil?

Gray, gray, all above is gray,

Or nearly black,

And it roils.

Some lively thing,

Rolling masses backlit,

Or lighted in staggering band:

There and gone,

Searing afterimage.

The rumbling clamor comes closer,

Continuous and insistent,

And with it a growing susurrous:

The cascade speaks with its own voice.

Stabbing light!

Again!

Sharp crack and following:

Rolling grumbles fading to distance.

Stabbing light!

Too near!

Blast and boom!

The silhouettes leap!

The gray curtain descends and obscures,

Streams form temporary,

Pools pool where there were none,

The air cools,

The ground steams,

The cleansing has begun.

What rages overhead moves away,

A pretty display fading,

The crash and slam drums loud elsewhere,

A cacophony and serenade for other ears,

But the pattering lullaby plays on yet,

And sleep comes easy and deep.

 

Cliff Lake 4/24/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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