And The Winds Roared

And the Winds Roared…. For Oklahoma May 21, 2013         

Mama jumped in the bathtub in the basement

Her body curled over the baby beneath

Daddy threw the mattress on them                      

Their world was shaking, they hung on with their teeth

       And the winds roared

       And the winds howled

       And the winds lifted and tore and twisted the lives and the people and places called home.

       And the winds roared.

Babies sleeping soundly in their bedroom should be safe

But they disappeared in the chaos - swept away swept away

God's hand guided them softly in the wind and rain

And they were both found sleeping the innocent sleep of the babe.

       And the winds roared

       And the winds howled

       And the winds lifted and tore and twisted the lives and the people and places called home.

The winds were curling and angry with might and a mission.

Its voice screaming destroying   everything in its vision.

It stacked cars up like matchbox toys dumped in play

But there was nothing of joy in that howling that day…the winds roared.

        The wreckage, the sadness, the losses the tears

        No reason , no answers just resignation and fears

        the children that died, the adults that were heroes

        the pets that perished, broken lives, broken mirrors

        Some may rebuild, some  will move far away

        From the scene now etched in their minds that May day

        As the winds roared

But those that stood up when the sky finally cleared

saw the wreckage , devastation, lives tossed far and near

and a glimmer of hope moved  cross the land

as they sifted through damage with shovel and hand.

a photo, a scrap of the lives they once knew

stiffened their spines , determination grew

the strength and the character of those who stood tall

is the remarkable gift that was given them all

after winds roared