~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Latent heat licks the earth
with humid tongue; the sun
shies behind a bank of
blue-black clouds in the West.

Growling deep in its throat,
the storm advances in
a search and destroy mode;
nothing below is safe.

The sky reaches toward
the ground and grabs handsful
of what was once people's
lives, tosses them aside.

It takes just seconds for
the community to
come apart at the seams
and break into pieces.

Lightning is the only
illumination for
a city gone dark - lives
and memories, shattered.

Survivors emerge from
the tangled remainders
of their homes, wandering
the ruined streets, in shock.

The calvary arrives
in the guise of rescue
workers, volunteers and
fire- and police men.

Strangers open their hearts
to those who need a home;
shelters comfort those who
have lost everything.

Tomorrow, they begin
the task of rebuilding;
tonight, they talk about
what has happened to them.

Years later, even though
scars mar the landscape, the
city that refused to die
stands, proud and defiant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oklahoma City.
Waynesboro.  Pleasant Grove.
Jarrell.  Oakfield.  Chandler.
Andover.  Hesston.  Niles.

Barneveld.  Broken Bow.
Birmingham.  Wichita
Falls.  Brownwood.  Xenia.
Waco.  Guinn and Spiro.

Just a few places that
have experienced the
fury of F-5 tornadoes ...
and lived to tell the tale.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) 2006, Karla Dorman.