Old Man Thunder Poem by Robert Kirkland Kernighan

I 'm old man thunder ! Lo, I come
With roar of wind and throb of drum ;

And all the wide earth under
Looks up when I am passing by
The cattle clap their hands and cry,
'Oho! the Thunder!'

The forest trees beneath me bend
I grip, I crush, I tear, I rend

The curse of thirst asunder ;
I put the dusty day to rout :
I love to hear my people shout,
'Oho! the Thunder!'


And when I strike a match, the light
Spins round the world, in circles bright,

And fills my world with wonder ;
And when I stand and stamp my feet,
A cry goes up from field and street,
'Oho! the Thunder!'

I fill the sky with sweet ozone :
I wet the pastures to the bone

I never blunder.

Hark and hear my rain drops thud ;
I turn the dust heaps into mud
'Oho! the Thunder!'