Into the Storm

The day darkens quickly from the West, sudden

Insult of sky galleons, billowing white cloaks

As Masters become Anger, catch passing Zephyrs

Blowing hot and cold into fire and furnace;

Envy gets the better - a cold Mistral flows

 

As black cloud gyrates silent spinning,

Remotely fixed to the Maypole of ribbon

Clouds, torn in shards reaching flower

Covered brown dirt, turn and crush a Hedge

Sparrow hiding broken on its cusp.

 

Violence unleashed grinds small field mammals,

Uses electric shock and shark jaw yawn,

Extends a carotid tendril sucking bloodied ground

Like a snarling harbour dredge. Cascades

of sods thumping Somme around its edge

 

Clip the cathedral Beech, crack its lifters'

Limbs that don't fall but moan in shock;

This earthen tear screams savage panjandra,

Must move on its way casting ruby eyes

Across pristine valley farms, new meat,

New promises, new false alarms.

 

Chris Hubbard 2020