Winds Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Complex and sometimes dangerous.
Like people can be.
When out of control.
From a lack of discipline.
To apply and start when children.
Believing them innocent.
Until their tantrums.

Winds.
When they begin.
Depends on what kind blows.
To continue until it ends.

Summer winds can often shift.
From a cool needed breeze.
While those living in New England,
And down to the Florida Keys...
Are temporarily relieved,
From the moist humidity of Summer's heat.

Swirling tornados known to those,
More in the mid-West.
Can dip quickly from threatening storm clouds.
Lifting up houses and wide eyed cows.
In winds that twist.
Sounding like trains while doing it.
And leaving a damage no one forgets.

Churning hurricane winds.
Are spotted to follow.
As if to announce their unpredictability.
And slow off the coast of Africa.
To seem to decide,
Which direction to go.
Like someone thought to bluff.
Until the seriousness of it,
Leaves many fearing.
Although warned but unprepared.

Yet...
How can anyone stay prepare,
For the fierce winds of Santa Ana.
Affecting most of the Southern California Coast.
Beginning inland and originating,
In the Great Basin.
Dry and quick.
With a taking of a spark,
Lit to a wick of a candlestick.
And within hours destroy entire neighborhoods.
With temperatures to rise,
Melting steel and concrete.
To leave behind just dust.

And these are winds.
No one as of yet can discipline.
But our children?
They can be taught not to torment.
When they are thought to be cute.
And not the manipulating monsters,
Some are allowed and left to become.
Until nothing can be done.
But pray!