For days the heat beat down
The air was thick and heavy
And we had a feeling
You were coming
We just did not predict the fury
You were brewing
You held it in
Until you couldn’t take it anymore
And erupted with a force
That sent the treetops sideways
Bowing down before your tirade
Who knew that hardwood was so limber
I watched in awe
Until the wall of water
Shuttered out my view
And I was in a ship at sea
And battling waves
Of rain and ice artillery
Pelting our safe harbor
You rocked and battered at our boat
And we were under siege
And stunned
By your attack
You raged with such ferocity
An ambush
That caught us off our guard
There wasn’t time to bring the horses
Under cover
And I fretted that they wouldn’t
Find a shelter
From the onslaught
When suddenly
You just withdrew
All spent
And fired out
We were reprieved
You snuck away
And left the battlefield to be surveyed
The swath of your advance
Was something to behold
Trees upon the ground
And tangled up like pick up sticks
The pine trees took the biggest hit
They always feel the blow
They are the infantry
The foot patrol
And seem quite transient anyway
With shallow roots
Halfheartedly in place
So I don’t mourn them terribly
The horses made it through unscathed
And were no worse for wear
Perhaps a bit subdued
But the casualty
I most despaired
And stopped in disbelief
To find him on the ground
Was the old pear tree
An orchard elderly
The one my brother tended lovingly
With several years of life support
And a crutch of sorts
To prop his tired limbs
Oh, why did you have to conquer him
I bowed my head in sadness
And said a little prayer
For the fallen pear

Sara Mathews     August 2016