Great Blue in the Rain

A Great Blue Heron glided over the willows, crossing a valley filled with rage...

Photo by Ryan Arnst on Unsplash

Thunder pulled me from my bed
The roar of rain lured me outside
To watch the spectacle of a monsoon
Ozone filled the air under the eave
Mixing with smells of drenched earth
Coffee and bacon
Motel guests sat next to their doorways
Sipping at steaming cups
As they watched the storm.
Sandstone hemmed us inside a Shangri-La
Of oxidized reds, herbal greens, and cobalt skies
Now shrouded in roiling clouds
Bunched and heaving
In a palette of grey to mauve to black
Lightning flashed all around
Warning us to shelter from its wrath
We obeyed willingly, thrilled just to gaze.
Then, just as casual as you please
A Great Blue Heron glided over the willows
Crossing a valley filled with rage
The bird seems unconcerned
Its legs stretched backward like allerons
Guiding it through a steady flight
Amid the tumult
Of a summer shower gone mad.

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You can read more from Sue Cauhape on her page, “Ring Around the Basin”: