You and I have always shared a love of thunderstorms
but there was one that put all other storms to shame.
A group of us were walking back toward campus.
We hadn’t even seen the first drops of rain.
Then you threw your hands in the air
challenged god to strike you down.
suddenly thunder boomed
and lightening flashed all around.
Everyone else was scared
but you and I could feel
the energy in the air
and we knew that it was real.
We stood atop that hill
as the sky grew dark overhead
and watched as a violet bolt
ignited flames of red.
And that ring of coal black clouds
looked like the apocalypse.
Our friends all ran off
but we just stood transfixed
by the blinding contrast of
those brilliant flashing lights
as they threw waves of gold
across that ruthless sky.
At last we managed to break the hold
that storm had over our minds
still as we ran we watched behind us
wanting to see all it’s destruction unwind.
We joined our friends in what seemed like safety
the car we thought would take us home
but then it stopped and sat there frozen.
We felt exposed and all alone.
We waited for what seemed like eternity
as the storm raged on outside.
When help finally came to get us
we all thought they’d saved our lives.
It felt like a near death experience.
Looking back now I know it was not.
Still when I think of that night I remember
how excited we were by the thought.
We were trapped in a tiny metal car
on a flimsy metal rail
in the middle of a lightening storm
and we lived to tell the tale.