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The content presented here is for informational or educational purposes only. These are just the authors' personal opinions and knowledge.
Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are based on the authors' lives and experiences and may be changed to protect personal information. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Cozy Contemplations - 27. Chapter 27 Ringside

I love storms. They make me feel alive, and I have the same awe for them I felt as a child.

Ringside

 

With little notice

The churning skies promise violence

Lighting our world with flashes

That make us jump and tremble

We seek shelter

As the crescendo plots its rise

The deluge begins as crackling spatters

On hoods and roofs and pavement

Nature’s timpani

Fearsome and thrilling both

We cower as it becomes torrential

And deafening

The rhythm becomes a roar

Trees impersonate rubber

Threatening to obstruct

Destruct

And expose jagged edges

Sharp enough to kill

As they block our way

Trapping us in matchstick houses

And Dinky toy cars

The wind howls its warning

Competing with the distant thunder

Both relishing in our quaking fear

Exposing how insignificant we are

Existing only at the tolerance

Of the elements

As they play their games around the world

The wind dies

The rain gentles

Thunder moves off

And peace returns

We have been spared this time

But we have been warned

Never to underestimate

A next time will surely come

And I will take my chances

Revel and rejoice

Before Nature’s unmatched power

And thank her for scaring me

 

 

*

Thanks for reading. Is it wrong that storms make me happy? :) 
Copyright © 2017 Headstall; All Rights Reserved.
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The content presented here is for informational or educational purposes only. These are just the authors' personal opinions and knowledge.
Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are based on the authors' lives and experiences and may be changed to protect personal information. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

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  • Site Administrator

Great poem.  You really captured the essence and energy of powerful storms.  :) 

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 Love storms provided no one got hurt. A few years ago the weather forecast said that a storm was brewing in old Netherlands, a matter of fact they issued a code orange. I had to go somewhere on my bike and I had a tailwind, man, it felt like flying. Fun and exciting. I really like Ringside, in my mind, I can hear the storm howling and see branches snap off the trees.
Brava!
 

Edited by Job
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22 minutes ago, Valkyrie said:

Great poem.  You really captured the essence and energy of powerful storms.  :) 

Thanks, Val. Sudden storms are exhilarating and scary, but they feed me something else intangible that I seem to need. They lift my spirits. Cheers... Gary.... 

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5 minutes ago, Job said:

I really like this cozy coI love storms provided no one got hurt. A few years ago the weather forecast said that a storm was brewing in old Netherlands, a matter of fact they issued a code orange. I had to go somewhere on my bike and I had a tailwind, man it felt like flying. Fun and exciting. I really like Ringside, in my mind, I can hear the storm howling and see branches snap off the trees.
Brava!
 

Thank you, Job. I'm pleased you liked this. I've been on my bike during storms, and I know what you mean. Flying... yeah... it makes me feel like a kid again. :) Cheers, buddy... Gary....

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Having spent my first twenty-nine years in the country, we got the brunt of storms in all seasons.  The Blizzard of '77 left us without power for a couple days, but we had a fireplace and plenty of wood, and a gas stove.  We had nearly a tornado a couple times, and saw one in the distance, but the closest we got was one morning before I went off to school I think in about 5th grade.  My sister drove me out to the end of the drive to wait on the bus, and in the brief time she left the second garage door open, the huge winds tore the side wall out!  My Dad had added that with three windows to fit a second car or tools, but when he rebuilt the wall he left out the windows as a weakness we didn't need.  Scary times!

 

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3 hours ago, ColumbusGuy said:

Having spent my first twenty-nine years in the country, we got the brunt of storms in all seasons.  The Blizzard of '77 left us without power for a couple days, but we had a fireplace and plenty of wood, and a gas stove.  We had nearly a tornado a couple times, and saw one in the distance, but the closest we got was one morning before I went off to school I think in about 5th grade.  My sister drove me out to the end of the drive to wait on the bus, and in the brief time she left the second garage door open, the huge winds tore the side wall out!  My Dad had added that with three windows to fit a second car or tools, but when he rebuilt the wall he left out the windows as a weakness we didn't need.  Scary times!

 

I grew up for the first ten years of my life in the province of New Brunswick. Snowfalls and storms were legendary, probably helped by the Atlantic Ocean being so close. We lived in a very small house after my mother left my father, and what I remember most was how safe I felt in there. We had a woodstove that was also our cooking stove and our clothes dryer when the outside clothes line was covered in ice. It might have been when we were most happy. :) 

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Like you, storms send a thrill up my spine. There is something majestic in their incredible crescendo and power. You write about this so very well. Thank you. 

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1 hour ago, Parker Owens said:

Like you, storms send a thrill up my spine. There is something majestic in their incredible crescendo and power. You write about this so very well. Thank you. 

Thanks, Parker. Nature, in all its forms, is a part of our DNA. Unfortunately, we don't protect her like we should... we should be careful because she is proving more than capable of making us pay for our destructive natures. :( Thanks for reading and commenting. Cheers... Gary....

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Who doesn't love a good (non-destructive) storm? A really good thunderstorm is just exciting. The power of nature is so large-scale that you can't quite grasp it, only marvel at it.

 

Great verse. You've captured the awe-factor nicely! :)

 

 

 

 

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This was lovely & it’s a-okay that storms make you happy.

”It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature” was a successful ad line back in the day for a reason.  Like your poem stated, we are no match for the tempests of the earth.

I also like to witness storms (from inside 😊); Thunder and lightning don’t scare me and the aftermath of a storm can be beautiful if there isn’t great damage-colors look brighter, the air feels lighter and smells crisper.   Storms carry away the ozone, smog and other pollutants that build up.  Tho I’m not a fan of them often, sometimes our relationships need a storm of an argument to clear the air of things we choose to ignore that should’ve been addressed way before;  The relationship tends to be better in that aftermath too, either stronger or over, either way more clear.

Your depiction of storm appreciation was wonderfully descriptive and another amazing piece of writing, Gary.  Your literary efforts are always worth waiting for.  Thank you for sharing, my platonic friend.  ❤️:hug:

Edited by FanLit
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16 hours ago, ColumbusGuy said:

We can't help being in awe of Nature at her loudest...it's primal from our earliest days as intelligence dawned, and later we invented gods to help us understand.  But even now, at the height of these fierce celestial battles, a chord is struck deep within us that can't be ignored.  We are meant to be in tune with Nature and her works, not superior to them, as she so often proves when our hubris grows intolerable.  We lost the thread of Being when we set ourselves at the pinnacle of Creation rather than as a sharer of wonders.  I hope we will learn that lesson again one day.

I loved this one, dear friend...and I love being in a storm myself, so long as I'm not soaking wet and cold.  :)

Your review was poetic.  Nicely done.

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8 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

Who doesn't love a good (non-destructive) storm? A really good thunderstorm is just exciting. The power of nature is so large-scale that you can't quite grasp it, only marvel at it.

 

Great verse. You've captured the awe-factor nicely! :)

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Geron. I'm glad you feel the same way I do... I worry, though, what we have done to upset the balance of nature. Turning a blind eye to science is not the answer, and many large scale tragedies are occurring around the world. Sorry to preach... thanks for reading and understanding... cheers... Gary....

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1 hour ago, Defiance19 said:

Perfectly described, Gary. The sheer intensity of a storm does makes one come alive. 

Thanks, Def. Being in a forest when a storm comes up is especially incredible, and for me, a spiritual experience. I'm pleased you liked this one... cheers... Gary....

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49 minutes ago, FanLit said:

This was lovely & it’s a-okay that storms make you happy.

”It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature” was a successful ad line back in the day for a reason.  Like your poem stated, we are no match for the tempests of the earth.

I also like to witness storms (from inside 😊); Thunder and lightning don’t scare me and the aftermath of a storm can be beautiful if there isn’t great damage-colors look brighter, the air feels lighter and smells crisper.   Storms carry away the ozone, smog and other pollutants that build up.  Tho I’m not a fan of them often, sometimes our relationships need a storm of an argument to clear the air of things we choose to ignore that should’ve been addressed way before;  The relationship tends to be better in that aftermath too, either stronger or over, either way more clear.

Your depiction of storm appreciation was wonderfully descriptive and another amazing piece of writing, Gary.  Your literary efforts are always worth waiting for.  Thank you for sharing, my platonic friend.  ❤️:hug:

You are so kind, my platonic friend. :hug:  I remember that ad well. It was for Chiffon margarine, and was around for ages. :D  I don't remember the actress's name, but I can picture her still. I love your take on my poem... that the colors look brighter, and the air feels lighter and smells crisper... and you are so right about the 'storms' that occur in relationships. I remember a particular ugly one that changed every thing... for the good. :)  Thanks for the wonderful comment... cheers... Gary.... :hug: 

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53 minutes ago, FanLit said:

Your review was poetic.  Nicely done.

CG is a learned, sweet, talented, and thoughtful man. :yes: 

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15 hours ago, Headstall said:

Thanks, Geron. I'm glad you feel the same way I do... I worry, though, what we have done to upset the balance of nature. Turning a blind eye to science is not the answer, and many large scale tragedies are occurring around the world. Sorry to preach... thanks for reading and understanding... cheers... Gary....

I fully agree with you. Our planet runs on some large and small cycles, time-wise,  as far as climate, and some of these cycles are hard enough to deal with without us adding to the game by warming the place up. Our sun also has periodic cycles, some short, and some long, which affect climate on Earth, and especially when certain sun cycles coincide with certain planetary climate cycles.

 

Unfortunately, no matter what we do,  these cycles will persist. There are scientists on both side of the fence when it comes to climate change. Those that understand the many natural cycles in the Earth's climate, along with the many cycles in our sun that also affect climate on Earth, are hesitant to point the finger at human activity as the current cause of large-scale climate change. And then there are those that point to the fact that human activity has a measurable impact on climate, and that our contribution is certainly enough to at least aggravate some natural cycles in the weather, and that we need to do something about it before it's too late.

 

But because there is this divide, politicians can pick and choose the science people they want, who will express the views they want to hear. This is not due to corrupt science, or corrupt scientists; it is due to two ways of looking at the same problems. There is no definitive answer as yet. But because human activity does contribute measurably to heat retention within the atmosphere, we should at least err on the side of caution and play it safe. That we cannot come to an agreement on this is due to greed on the part of some, and disdain for the problems that future generations may be required to deal with. It's unconscionable conduct, but what in politics these days is not?

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Exactly, Geron. There are always two sides, but this is one, maybe not definitive, but where 'evidence' and opinion have been building over decades,  should not be ignored, or worse, scoffed at. Regardless of where a person sits on the issue, whether scientist or layman, pollution is bad. We all know that, even without considering climate change, which, personally, I do. We all know where the lead for gasoline used to end up... our lungs for one thing... and the ground we grow food on for another. Many pesticides have been banned for good reason... after the loss of considerable wildlife and people. Air quality is suffering... and water quality is a very real problem. Just ask Michiganders, where the problem has existed for decades, and appears impossible to fix under current and past administrations. So... I agree wholeheartedly... err on the side of caution. Elected (or otherwise) leaders should take responsibility for future generations, and have the vision to look ahead. The world deserves it. We deserve it, and anyone who doesn't think so should take a good long look in the mirror. Cheers, my friend... Gary....

Edited by Headstall
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11 hours ago, Geron Kees said:

I fully agree with you. Our planet runs on some large and small cycles, time-wise,  as far as climate, and some of these cycles are hard enough to deal with without us adding to the game by warming the place up. Our sun also has periodic cycles, some short, and some long, which affect climate on Earth, and especially when certain sun cycles coincide with certain planetary climate cycles.

 

Unfortunately, no matter what we do,  these cycles will persist. There are scientists on both side of the fence when it comes to climate change. Those that understand the many natural cycles in the Earth's climate, along with the many cycles in our sun that also affect climate on Earth, are hesitant to point the finger at human activity as the current cause of large-scale climate change. And then there are those that point to the fact that human activity has a measurable impact on climate, and that our contribution is certainly enough to at least aggravate some natural cycles in the weather, and that we need to do something about it before it's too late.

 

But because there is this divide, politicians can pick and choose the science people they want, who will express the views they want to hear. This is not due to corrupt science, or corrupt scientists; it is due to two ways of looking at the same problems. There is no definitive answer as yet. But because human activity does contribute measurably to heat retention within the atmosphere, we should at least err on the side of caution and play it safe. That we cannot come to an agreement on this is due to greed on the part of some, and disdain for the problems that future generations may be required to deal with. It's unconscionable conduct, but what in politics these days is not?

See above post... forgot to quote you. :) 

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