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stormy night
May. 18th, 2025 09:53 pmThe first wave came at dusk, as I roused myself from my post-work nap long enough to climb the stairs to bed. The dark western sky hid the black clouds barreling towards us, and the first rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning were mistaken in my sleep-soaked brain for cars, traffic, neighbors, noise that would've registered properly had I been awake. All week I'd only been awake long enough to work, then it was back to the couch, to bed, to sleep, pain in various forms guiding me to relief.
Lengthy flashes of lightning lit up my bedroom around the light-blocking curtains, blinking out a Morse-coded warning:
_.. ._ _. __. . ._.
[D A N G E R]
_... . .__ ._ ._. .
[B E W A R E]
_._. ._.. .. __ ._ _ . _._. .... ._ _. __. . .. ... ._. . ._ ._..
[C L I M A T E C H A N G E I S R E A L]
The thunder that came before, during, and after rumbled like a bass drum, while also having me believe the sky was being ripped apart like bedsheets for bandages. While my brain sluggishly identified and filed away the auditory assault, the rain began, moderate at first - a spring shower - then in earnest. A deluge, a torrent, a fire hose pointed at my second floor patio door fending off unseen flames. I rolled over and settled back into dreams.
the second round came shortly after this first, bringing marble sized hail, insult to injury, a door flung open with "..and another thing!" before being slammed shut again. I yawned and adjusted the pillows, feeling for the cool spot, hoping it would bring sleep back to me.
By the time the third round found us, I'd moved back to the couch in search of rest, relief. Pain had settled in around me like an old threadbare robe, lashing me down to the roulette wheel of nausea caused by chasing pain with OTC cocktails. Somehow, through all of this, I never think to hit the liquor cabinet, and whatever little bit of my brain that keeps me away, I am forever thankful that it has the upper hand.
If we had tornado sirens, I didn't hear them; I think we lucked out this time. Early morning headlines showed that KY, and MO, felt the full wrath of the storm, and my southern cousin once again a narrow miss from danger.
Lengthy flashes of lightning lit up my bedroom around the light-blocking curtains, blinking out a Morse-coded warning:
_.. ._ _. __. . ._.
[D A N G E R]
_... . .__ ._ ._. .
[B E W A R E]
_._. ._.. .. __ ._ _ . _._. .... ._ _. __. . .. ... ._. . ._ ._..
[C L I M A T E C H A N G E I S R E A L]
The thunder that came before, during, and after rumbled like a bass drum, while also having me believe the sky was being ripped apart like bedsheets for bandages. While my brain sluggishly identified and filed away the auditory assault, the rain began, moderate at first - a spring shower - then in earnest. A deluge, a torrent, a fire hose pointed at my second floor patio door fending off unseen flames. I rolled over and settled back into dreams.
the second round came shortly after this first, bringing marble sized hail, insult to injury, a door flung open with "..and another thing!" before being slammed shut again. I yawned and adjusted the pillows, feeling for the cool spot, hoping it would bring sleep back to me.
By the time the third round found us, I'd moved back to the couch in search of rest, relief. Pain had settled in around me like an old threadbare robe, lashing me down to the roulette wheel of nausea caused by chasing pain with OTC cocktails. Somehow, through all of this, I never think to hit the liquor cabinet, and whatever little bit of my brain that keeps me away, I am forever thankful that it has the upper hand.
If we had tornado sirens, I didn't hear them; I think we lucked out this time. Early morning headlines showed that KY, and MO, felt the full wrath of the storm, and my southern cousin once again a narrow miss from danger.
