August 10

it’s a day we’ll never forget
a 911 of the land
of the forest
of the fields

derecho
it’s a word we never knew
as if created for a devastation
that couldn’t be described

a wall of wind
100 miles long
80 miles deep
140 miles per hour fast
marching across Nebraska
collapsing into Iowa
flattening the red oak
the white ash
the black walnut
mulching millions of maze rows
mangling massive silos
uprooting entire houses
crushing a man on his bike

the most expensive tornado in history
seven billion in damage
of what can be counted

never before

and hopefully never again
but even as i say the words
they feel fragile
as if unsure they will be able to stand
in the world they have found themselves in