The raging wind,
pelting down sheets of rain onto the earth,
ruffling the feathers
of the ducks, hunkering down low to the ground,
seeking protection
from the icy cold, the grip of the storm,
that shows no mercy, not to beast, man, plant or tree…
The storm awakens a raging
deep inside,
disturbed by the howls of the wind,
by the trees screaming in protest,
the mist clouding vision,
the rain dousing calm,
the cold freezing motion,
and the dampened light
keeping me stuck in its midst.
So I turn my back to nature,
to the windows, the sights my eyes behold.
I am drawn to the flames,
dancing in the updraft,
to the warmth radiating forth
from the black cast iron,
I move closer and closer to its reach,
to the company of the creatures
lying prone around this warmth,
and join their comforting embrace,
listen only to the purr and the crackling fire
and the sounds of contented sighs.
The world outside does not exist,
the chaos, the storm,
no longer can touch me,
I am safe in the arms of love
and the stillness deep within my soul.
