Undulating clouds that were once so distant
Arrive overhead in what seemed an instant
Never ending swirls of a malevolent wand
Clearly the winds presence was now at hand

Shades of grey turn, light ash to dark slate
Is it the storm’s warning of our looming fate?
Animals become alert, edgy and restless
The incessant crow cawing now breathless

There’s a smell in the air of oncoming rain
A chill in the bones, the foreboding storm plain
Aspen limbs quaking and cedar a spruce
Calm now cedes to squally, a storm to induce

Scared rabbit looking for an elusive burrow
Nary a moment, time lost to dig a new furrow
The Robin’s first instinct to return to the nest
Chirping welcomes her home to be with the rest

The ground moistens, the clouds unleash now
Quenching a thirsty branch, limb and bough
The storm’s fury gives way to clear sky
Nature’s spirit looking us in the eye