Electric Storm Poem by Roger Hudson

Jagged whitehot upsidedown trees of lightning
zag and zig
and
and
roll

crackle

thunder

Startling
Dazzling
Dances of white light
across rolling black clouds of dark night sky

On bed by window
we children kneel

Staring
Electrified
at nature's firework display

The dead in the village cemetery
across the road

Don't waken

The tall trees in the garden
shaken and storm-tossed
Don't burst into flame

Rain lashes fierce arrows on dark garden

The same mixture

Excitement
Fear
Wonder
Caution
Astonishment

as man-made fireworks

Brocks, Standard
suddenly available
at village stores
to celebrate victory
after long sparse pitch-black heavily-curtained war

"Hold it at arms-length, now! "

"No, I'll light that one, it's dangerous."

"Stand back, children! "

bang

Wheeee ee eeee eh

swwooosh

SzzzzzZZZZ

Crackle crackle

pooooff

pooooff

pooooff

Oooooh!

Aaaah!

Oh!

Hahaha!


Giant
raging hot
roaring bonfire
no longer banned
sparks, burning fragments

Flying up
twisting
turning into dark starlit sky
no longer home to enemy bombers
with their loads of home-busting world-smashing bangers