Sobering: the Aftermath of a Tornado

A sound like a freight train racing through the sky directly overhead

I lie in my bed and contemplate the choice I made

To not make haste for the basement

It's not the first storm event I have been a part of

But it's the first one that ever hit so close to home

It's sobering, actually

To listen to the deafening sound of nature

At its most destructive and realize you cannot stop it

You don't have the ability to shield your loved ones from it

To protect anyone or anything

Toppled trees, flying debris, and razed houses and various buildings

And afterwards the silence that makes the noise of the previous moment seem magnified

Louder, more distinct, sad, hollow, desolate, and fierce

Then the noises of the adrenaline induced chatter from your neighbors,

Creeping outside

Looking for damage, looking for death, praying for life

"I'm okay; are you okay?"

For many there's minimal damage

It could have been so much worse

It is much worse for others

You turn the corner and you no longer recognize your surroundings

It's like you left your homeland and entered some place completely different

Ravaged, war torn, completely destroyed

You have been transported to a third world country

That sobering feeling lingers

Along with the sound of destruction

Along with the knowledge that you were lucky this time

You were spared

And that is sobering, too!

Jennifer 4-27-11