It’s a bright and sunny day
With a slight breeze
Then dark storm clouds brew
Flickering with light
Rumbling with thunder
They approach swiftly, the storm nearing.

People glance up
Sensing that something is different
About this storm
A thing never seen by man living here
Danger unparalleled in the past
The storm begins its rage.

Rain falls, falling up to fifteen inches
Thunder booms louder than a jumbo jet
Lightning blinds us, brilliantly bright
Sparking fires
The wind picks up, roaring
As the storms ferocity increases.

We glance fearfully outside the window to see
Clouds of odd colors, a greenish-yellow
Oppressively close, heavy
If what I remember is right; if what I read is valid—we are in very deep trouble
As the wind howls and the storm clouds churn.

In an instant I glance toward the sky again
And I know; some gut instinct confirms my fear
I tell my family and my friends what I know
They scramble downstairs, screaming and terrified
Of Mother Nature’s most dangerous child
The storm is all around us as we wait.

The tornado descends as we’re barricaded in
The basement, our sanctuary
For hours—minutes—millennia we huddle together
Crying, praying as one group
Then the wind ceases and slowly we
Emerge, staring at the razed houses the storm left

It’s been a year since the Great Storm
We’re rebuilding our homes, our communities, our lives
Recovering from the storm we can never forget.