A couple of weeks ago we had family visiting from Victoria, so we took them out for a lovely dinner on the waterfront in town. It was a perfect summer evening and a lovely evening. But the light show we glimpsed in the distance proved to be far more sinister than we imagined.  Here’s my poem in response to that:

Cruel Mother

After dinner

we revel in gentle breeze

across darkening water

enjoy impromptu

lightning light-show

and marvel

at Mother Nature’s beauty.

 

Next day

and next

and next

and next

we watch

the firestorm

lit by that same lightning

destroy

forest

buildings

towns

lives

and wonder

how a mother

can be so cruel.

(Poem copyright S. Murphy 2016)

And, to show the foerocity of what came from that lightning storm, here’s a little footage:

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is hosted by A Teaching Life. Head over there to see what other poetry offerings are on this week’s menu.