The sun is shining and there are dark clouds on the horizon,

It's been nothing but a normal day but the humidity is rising,

Storms are brewing in the skies as far as the eye can see,

But for now it's clear as normalcy prevails within each family,

Our bright star illuminates and turns the distant haze into dark,

People go about their regular lives as kids play out in the park,

The air is very still and quiet, almost too peaceful to be true,

Storms sucking the humid atmosphere before they pass through,

They grow closer from the west, as the sky starts to turn grey,

There will be no more sunshine as the clouds turn night from day,

The breeze picks up and loose objects blow across the street,

Tears begin falling from above as coolness replaces all the heat,

The heavens become pitch black as torrential rain floods the land,

Now the winds are up to a gale and there are warnings at hand,

Emotions start to elevate and families nestle safely within their house,

Sweat falls from brows as mouths are silenced quieter than a mouse,

Fear starts to set in as the approaching storms set course to a path,

Loved ones hold each other tight trying to avoid this evil wrath,

The sound of things breaking and the thumps from all of the hail,

Everyone is knee bound praying that all their prayers do not fail,

Basements are full with flashlights and radios tuned in on weathermen,

Souls from every neighborhood are hoping for safe passage over them,

Then all of a sudden the skies make way and part to form a vortex,

A funnel descends from the sky, in which no one would ever expect,

A mile wide in diameter it finally reaches the ground where it will sit,

Rotating with fury it consumes everything that’s in the path of it,

Houses are ripped to shreds as trees and cars become flying shrapnel,

The sound of a freight train from the winds becomes almost unbearable,

Horizontal bands of rain and hail fill every inch of every crack it can find,

As the tornado passes through leaving total and utter destruction behind,

What took a lifetime to build is destroyed in a couple minutes of time,

Hopelessness and heartache set in whether it’s your family or mine,

When they walk out from the cellar, they see nothing but total annihilation,

Bodies weak from terror, eyes not believing this unimaginable situation,

Lives and dreams are changed in ways that could never be imagined,

Whole communities and towns are torn apart, frayed to no end,

Families and lives are lost along with every possession they’ve ever owned,

They pick among the rubble trying to find pieces of what they once called home,

Communities pull together and show a bond that no one could ever replace,

I admire their strength and courage no matter what the situation they face,

Just remember that every door that shuts, one opens even if we don’t understand,

We aren’t given anything that we can’t handle, for god has an ultimate plan,

Be strong, keep your faith, and god will show you the way to being blessed,

Be thankful for your life and your families, and let god handle all the rest,

I know the path to rebuilding will be long and hard, but have faith from within,

May god mend your wounds and heal your hearts, so your new life can begin,

To all the victims and those lost, my heart and prayers stay with you and dwell,

To be with you and protect you from tornadoes, these dark funnels from hell.

05/24/11

MULLIS