Making the Best in a Bad Situation (5/7/5 format)

a blood red eye glares
down through a malevolent
haze of smoke and dust -

it wants me. can see
it in its expression of
absolute hatred -

because i've been bought
by the saving Grace of love,
i do not worry -

if worse comes to worse,
i will meet my Heavenly
Father, face to face -

until then, Lord, give
me strength. You are my refuge.
You are my shelter -

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

Say A Prayer

Say a prayer: wildfires burning all
around, the sun hidden behind a
pall of smoke and haze. Smell of
flame heavy in the lungs, burning
eyes to red. Emergency bag is
packed, just in case. Nerves
jangle with every siren, heard: is
it us this time? And Saturday into
Sunday, could be running from
severe storms. Enough, Lord -
weary from worrying. Be with us -

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

Dip

The first foray into the deeps always
the worst. The tentative step in oh,
it's cold water as it tastes feet, grabs at
ankles, nibbles its way up to knee,
thigh, crotch, waist: can't do this,
can't. The back twitches as the wet
creeps further up the spine; nipples
held back by a thin resolve of color
shrivel in protest. Body shivers with
the dread of okay, now. N o w. On
three. One. Two still too -- O N E.
Two. Threeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
OH that's cold. Teeth are chattering,
skin turning blue and goosefleshed:
but doesn't that water feel ... g r e a t?

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

Night Light[ning]

Darkness, invisible -- whitewashed
pale, illuminated from without and
within for a brief, intense moment
before shrouding itself back into
secrecy. Another burst -- a storm
approaches from the West; thunder
rolls. And I, under, watch the drama
unfolding overhead: night light[ning].

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ix8GY3Ruh9g

80 Degrees of Separation ...

Nearly 80 degrees of separation
between the highest temperature
and the lowest in the state: 100
degrees in Brownsville, 22 in
Amarillo. In between it all, severe
storms! Blizzards!! Wind!!! A
l o t of that. Front blew in and in
three hours, the temperatures
dropped 27 degrees: from 69 to
42. No, make that 40. This is nuts
-- after the tornadoes to our north
last night, snow may accumulate
to a couple of inches along the
damage path. (Thank God, no
major injury or deaths.) We might
get a flurry or two here! Spring in
Texas. Gotta love it. Never dull:
and the temperature now? 39.2!!

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

Meringue Skies

Meringue: that's what the sky
reminded me of: clouds beaten,
whipped to a frenzy of activity,
overhead. Upper level dynamics
combined with a stalled front to
the south rolled in the storms
on the winds of turbulence. If
not dessert, mountains or ocean
waves. On of the strangest
(scariest, in a beautiful sort of
way) cloud formations I've seen:
and tomorrow, could do it again.

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rPKyr57v_E

Lesson Learned From Mockingbird

LESSON LEARNED FROM MOCKINGBIRD

Greet each morning with -

a song in your mouth,
a smile in your heart,
a dance in your step.

Celebrate being a l i v e !!

It's a new day.
It's a new Season.
Spread your wings and fly!

(c) 2009, Karla Dorman

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI5IDS3sioQ