Storm Surge

Once more a poem about writing poetry surged through. I wrote it last night after meditating, then "fixed" it up this morning. Enjoy!

In a half dream

I calmly watch the tide pull back

totally oblivious to what’s about to happen

the quiet deceiving before all hell breaks loose

Mesmerized, I watch it build. It’s huge!

and realize there’s no time to run

with frightening speed

it descends in a deafening rumble

devouring everything in its path

It smashes into me

sweeps me high off my feet

spins me around

then slams me to the ground

its force rolling me

over and over and over

I try to grab onto words

but the surge steals my breath

I try to grab onto explanation

but the ferocity leaves me mindless

I write furiously

but the raging torrents rip away the words

before I can get them all on the page

I try to make sense of it all

but the turbulent forces tumble me along

at speeds too outrageous to describe

leaving no room for cohesive thought

Then, as suddenly as it began, it stops.

I collapse into the wet, slimy mud

stunned, bruised, exhausted

numb and in shock

I watch the water recede, disappear

I breathe in … breathe out

I’m alive!

I begin moving aching limbs

shifting through the debris

of words I wrote down

trying to find what I missed;

searching for the ending

But there’s nothing else here.

After all that intensity

I expected more --

There is no more

Surprised, I realize

the ending already happened

just not the way I expected

what started with such violence

ended quickly, softly.

It’s done.