Fulguriators Poem by Hans Ostrom

The Etruscans employed fulguriators-
interpreters of lightning strikes.
Jagged, sizzling bolts wrought phrases,
injected warnings, illumined portents,
and brought the heat. And may I say,

what a great job: Critic of Lightning,
fusing and fissioning meteorology,
magic, entertainment,
theology, and serious scholarship.

There had to have been fulguriator
conferences, with newsletters (on
baked tablets)with articles like
"Towards a Theory of Lighting
Semantics, " "The Neglected Importance
of Thunder, " and "'Don't Sit Under
a Tree': Common Mistakes in
Fulguriation." My own

insights into lightning have been
wanting, focused on risk of wildfire,
fear of electrocution, and thoughts
of B-Horror movies. I know
I can do better, like the Etruscans.


hans ostrom