Downpour

Photo by Andy Grizzell on Unsplash

Into the night,
a sudden spring rain
came down.

Pounding madly,
water met earth
giving rise to familiar scents.

In shock and mayhem
folks sought shelter
emptying sidewalks.

Tires swished
along drowning streets
making the ocean’s sound.

White, electric lines
moved across the horizon
as the earth quaked.

Moon and stars
took cover,
hid safely out of sight.

The rumble raged
until the great
crescendo reached.

Like the elegant pause
between symphony movements
the heavens ceased its cry.

Urban lights glowed
giving warmth and meaning
to shapes built from the earth.

Purple petunias in balcony planters
lifted up and down
gently, as if to sigh.

A cool breeze
entered a sliding screen door.
Welcomed home, while jazz played.