Before The Storm Poem by Leslie Ching

Tall stalks of overgrown reed
Sway with surreal slowness
Over the edge of the lake;
The water is smooth,
Dark,
Motionless,
Mirroring the stillness
Of the trees towering above
That stand guard and wait.
Mysterious and vaguely defined,
Mere shadow beings they are
Behind the heavy veil of fog-
Thick and resilient against searching eyes.
The forest will keep
Its secrets tonight;
All is eerily silent, waiting
In the calm before the storm.