Saturday, January 14, 2017

Derecho Makes an Appearance

Fixating on an over-sized wood
spider hiding in between the green nylon
rain fly and the gray tent, my eyes
open as hazy humidity
builds on the rocky pathway.

By noon, my clothes are drenched
from the absence of rain
burns on my skin
reach forbidden flesh.

The haze hangs crooked
over the hemlock
and something chirps
unseen, fire snaps and spits
male June bugs buzz
and slam around the LED lantern
they come uninvited
like Derecho

You take your freshly whittled
spear made from a dead tree branch
jab the juicy June bug
fire roast him
to see if he would POP.

Derecho lumbers
through the woods, rips
the sky open, plays with  high
voltage, exposes pink and violet
battle scars from warring
cold and warm fronts.

The tired, almost retired Derecho,
comes to camp in the valley nestled
next to the Susquehanna
River where he’s not
welcome to warm by the fire
that still burns.

The fire recedes,  the rain stops
clouds follow Derecho as he travels east
and fireflies blinkblinkblink
in between the rain fly and tent.

* According to NOAA, (http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/derechofacts.htm) Derecho are widespread windstorms that typically spawn severe thunderstorms and windstorms.

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