Cloudburst
I was dreaming of a drizzle in the desert, and you came like a cloudburst.
I had just begun to quench my thirst when you left, leaving behind only dust.
~~`~Mrunal Pagnis
I.
A straw in the wind; imminent menace
Stillness uneasy silent eerie calm
Thick vapor-laden air nebulous haze
In a flash the sullen skies broke the dam
Cloudburst sudden avalanche blinding rain
Soon enough the storm drains were a logjam
The fields became a Kafkaesque terrain
Raging waters rose above the flood mark
Blanketing the raw sienna fields of grain
From afar, the scene soberingly stark
Tall stately trees stood above the water
As light grays of dusk morphed to somber dark
Ghostly tragic scene devoid of laughter
The starless night hid the dire disaster
II.
The frightful tempest ceased by eleven
And furious whirlwinds eased as if on cue
By midnight serenity in heaven
Lights from a distant village has come through
Mirrored on flood waters and leaves of trees
The moon missing its midnight rendezvous
Not a single leaf rustling, there’s no breeze
The heat steamy and stifling, the air stale
Peaceful the realm; there are no guarantees
Finally, the moon rose silvery pale
Trees, islands in a smooth unstirring sea
Waiting for the night’s last breath to exhale
Then the witching hours reached its apogee
From the east dewy sunrise all can see
III.
The golden sun climbed the cirrus filled sky
As low-lying lacelike mist hid the trees
Trancelike surreal scene that meets the eye
Suddenly from the west a mighty breeze
The woods appear as the mist blown away
Green foliage arose as flood waters ease
By midmorning trees dry up as they sway
But debris scattered in the quagmired field
The bees buzzing, the butterflies at play
Creatures who were safe in the trees reveal’d
They scampered away to find dry shelter
Some looking for provision they’ve conceal’d
After the storm the world’s helter skelter
Sylvan dwellers praying for fine weather
IV.
Mid-afternoon sunshine a blast furnace
Regardless the gusty westerly breeze
Yes, nature has repaired her brokenness
Vibrant green are the fields bushes and trees
Water has drained to brooks and rivulets
All’s good; even the pessimist agrees
Wild flow’rs appear, bluebonnets violets
Swallows and sparrows fly in the blue sky
And from the west clouds drift like coverlets
Soon the sun descends from its throne up high
Its refracted rays colorize heaven
While down below the vast meadows are dry
Thus ends the day, last night’s storms forgotten
As blessings to one and all are given
12=08-2022
© Vic Evora
Poem written in terza rima. Each stanza has 14 lines with aba-bcb-cdc-ded-ee rhyming pattern.
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