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Dark and ghoulish skies
stand and stare,
A wall of cloud comes from
nowhere West,
The gates of hail open and
pour full down,
While wicked winds whip
where they will.
Sirens blare, warning all
who can hear:
Run for cover, if you can,
safe far below!
A tornado's heart beats
not at all! Beware!
Then there is a pausing,
feigning merciful
Before abruptly roaring:
Too late! I'm here!
And in that momentary silence,
a piano
Plays, and a lone voice
sings in the still:
Guard me God in the eye
of this storm.
Then the tail of the devil
touches down,
And all the hell it can
muster breaks loose,
A hurried darkness howls:
all be damned.
. . .
Hours later, for many hundreds
of miles,
All is deathly still and
silent once again,
Save for the faint cries
beneath the debris.
Highways crawl broken in
every direction
Through a scattered litter
land, homes
Flattened and businesses
too, stomped
By an unseen giant who cared
not a wit,
Sideways cars’ wheels
spin madly on,
Derailed freight-trains
lie belly up as far
As the eye can see, gas
wells blaze, lines
Electric crackle, sparking
hell's fire upon
Uprooted trees and limp
limbs, caved
Roofs and walls collapsed
and standing
Like decks of cards shielding
scores of
Dead rag dolls strewn with
blind wanton
In graves unmarked by any
human hand.
Yet in the midst of towns
no more, a cross
Still stands at the front
of one wee church,
Reminding remaining hearts
and minds:
True faith requires no windows
or walls.
Then the hands and feet of
Jesus Himself
Dug for survivors and prayed
over the
Dead, wrapped blankets around
shivering
Shoulders, fed the hungry,
provided water
To the thirsty, and tended
to the sound...
Signs of hope and faith in
a wannabe hell.
Psalm 23
John 16:33
Romans 8:39
Hebrews 14:15-16 |
