Siren Went Off

Siren went off Tried to ignore it afternoon was floating lazily Curiosity for outside world at its lowest still I thought Tornado forming somewhere this is the season Oklahomans cross their fingers Hold their hearts And wait where and what nature's wrath will bring All watching the gray skies hoping and praying..... siren went off again and again dark clouds were forming Bright sunshine had disappeared it was hard to ignore any more I came out of bedroom and turned T.V.on all local channels were active with Tornado news a big swath of Oklahoma territory covered with bright red Our town included in danger zone I was all alert now Trying to figure out which way it was coming And where it was going weathermen trying to keep up with the massive dark gray of sky Moving, tightening slowly transforming in to grey funnel A moving messenger of death and destruction Yet creating a thrill for storm chasers I felt excitement building in my chest it was far from us Weather clock showed the time It would be hitting Edmond soon One fiftieth, one sixty four, hundred and seventy eight Familiar street names repeated one by one Clock was ticking I looked at my innermost closet We would need to hide! the twister was ferocious sky became all dark Fierce wind hundred and fifty miles per hour Commentators were shouting for people to take cover I was amazed at the exact pinpointing of locations How quickly it came and passed through our crossing street Down the street it went crossing highway the fear, the thrill, the anticipation All building and subsiding faster than I could think but we were spared a sigh of relief passed through my lips It passed next town and then next town Before touching down Uprooting trees Tossing houses and trailers Like Lego blocks Twisted metal, wood, bricks Clothing, sofa chairs Scattered all around Life was simply a pile of trash we were spared but others were not so lucky death and destruction was there with the blink of an eye with horror and disbelief I watched the images on T.V. the formidable power of Mother Nature Its pulverizing might Against the sorrow and despair of humanity how quickly life changes Still we pick up the pieces and move on building, helping, consoling each other Offering our support and prayers There is no other way out Such is the human resilience. Pray for strength O restless mind! Just pray for strength.