Hurricane Katrina

In the beginning

the days were bright and the skys were clear.
she traveled a long way to give what she had to offer.
her journey took days.
even so, she reached out , stretching beyond her limits

those who were waiting could feel her presence as she drew near.
the skys began to darken.
the wind and rain were part of what she had to offer.
at first cooling, even refreshing,

the power that had been hidden became obvious
as she came closer.
the trees began their spasmodic dance
bending their trunks and waving their branches.
for some it was a fitful final dance.

the howling of the wind became the song that
accompanied the dance.
from afar she was awesome, even beautiful
her calming eye teased us but we were not deceived

we knew the calm was a trap set for fools.
she came to give what no one wanted
she came to give fear, death and destruction.
she exposed the frailties of humankind
and its' inability to respond to natures
awesome power

nature teaches us that even the most powerful among us are at its mercy.
our wars are but games played by politicians, fanatics and lunatics.
with destruction as the backdrop through which we view our failure,
we have learned that our differences are petty and an embrace
or a helping hand in a time of need is the most powerful weapon of all.