quote:
...Once, on this day near the 4th of July
there was an incredible, e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s storm
with the most mountainous rolls of thunder CRASHING!
and bright yellow zig-zag lightning streaks FLASHING!
and through the dark grey sky, frightening the white cotton clouds away
and sending the noonday Sun on the run
...also scooting Aunt Maud and my cousins,
.............Barbara Jean, Charles and Freddy, into the house
anyway, on this summer day
when the storm came rumbling and grumbling
and fiercely expolding in the sticky air
they all ran inside and cried out for me to follow them
to escape the danger of being struck by lightning
they ran with their hands over their ears, to dull their fears
of the crashing crescendos of thunder, sounding like Rip Van Winkle
rolling cannon balls at celestial ten pins
but when they called for me to "come along in!"
I did not follow
......I was quite busy, you see
......searching for elves, in the hollow of the old apple tree
......where there might be....not only elves
......but gnomes, faeries and actual druids waiting to play with me
they called and they called, in mounting fear
"Alice-Mary..Mary-Alice..Mary-Mary-Quite-Contrary
come into the house THIS MINUTE, this VERY minute, do you hear
before you get all wet -- or maybe hurt
an electrical storm is coming up
............and it's going to pour cats and dogs!"
Oh, that was a big mistake for them to make
for, after I heard that warning, certainly no one was going to persuade me
to come inside that day -- no way!
they called and they called and they called, but how foolish they were
...............................to imagine that I
would miss seeing kittens and puppies fall through the sky
...because of a few noisy fireworks
which exhilarated me far more than they frightened me
...........there was
..........................a strange, sulphur-like smell in the air
almost like I imagined the brimstones of hell
Dado discussed with me now and then....would smell
the strong sharp odor..the brilliant lightning flashes
blending with the electrical cracking sound, and the mighty pound
.........................................................of thunder
made me truly wonder if Jesus might possibly be
at long last, ready to personally speak with me
after remaining silent and distant
and unreachable by telephone for so long -- oh, yes!
the crash of that unexpected storm
shocked the very marrow of my bones with excitement
.........................................and expectation
......so I didn't go inside, when I was called
......but ran instead, with sudden glee
......fast! like a jack rabbit, into the garden
and hid behind the tallest corn stalks, so they couldn't see me
.........................................or find me
in a moment or two, it came -- the couldburst
drenching me to the skin, until my red and white sun suit
stuck to me like wallpaper
......I looked up expectantly, holding both ams out wide
......as wide as they could reach
......waiting for a kitten or a puppy to fall down into them
......from God . . up there in the Land of Love
......but there were none
......only a splashing waterfall, like a heavenly Niagara
..................................................fell from above
not a single cat or dog - - not one
......then I forgot my disappointment suddenly, because...
Oh! the rain and the storm and the warm
of the humid summer air, now breathing again
was so beautiful..so beautiful
that I kicked off my new Buster Brown sandals, dug my bare toes
into the dark, squishy-squashy earth
drinking in the rain and the storm and the warm
like cherry soda pop
...and as I burrowed my feet in the dirt in a spasm of ecstasy
...oh! oh! oh! the smells!
...the indescribable smells of damp earth and wet grass
.......sending steaming scents of Nature's perfume
.......into my quivering nostrils
I buried and smashed my nose into the pink-velvet petals of a rose
then into the sweet-sweet-sweet SWEET PEAS..grew dizzy
and nearly fainted with happiness
while silvery needles of clean, fresh rain beat down on my head
and the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed - OH BOY! OH JOY!
....................I screamed aloud, in unadulterated-by-adults pure joy
then, as suddenly as it had begun - the rain stopped
as the Sun came bursting through the clouds
spinning and whirling them into white cotton candy once more
and at that very same second - oh! oh! oh!
OH! ............I saw a wild streak of colors
..............................stream in a glorious arc
OH!...............across the top of the apple trees . .
...............................every color in my crayola box
OH!.....................every one I had ever seen!
..........pink and red and violet and orange and yellow and blue and green
as though God had smeared a giant paintbrush through the sky
it's truly a miracle that I didn't die - from the sheer awe and wonder
while, from far, far away, I heard a remembered voice speak
.................within a final, deep rumble of disappearing thunder
I fell down, then, into the ozone-soaked dirt and grass
and saw tiny raindrops . . glistening and sparkling like faerie necklaces
on the petals of every flower
while the scent of sweet peas floated in my head
until I honestly believed I was dead
and had floated up to Heaven, with the angels
.......I glanced once more at the glorious arc of Crayola colors
.......smeared by God on the wide Blueboard of the sky
.......and began to cry, as I whispered
.........................."thank you, Jesus . . . Amen"
it was, I believe
a short prayer of simple gratitude for beauty
for I had seen my first rainbow
and just as I whispered "Amen"
sensing I had experienced something sacred and holy
I felt the strangest lifting feeling
as if I were flying, but very, very . . slowly . . gently lifting
softly, slowly . . . ummistakably drifting
then floating back down in the grass again
hearing the faintest choir music sound
.......a few moments afterwards
.......I was literally levitated from the damp ground
.......by a pair of strong hands, belonging to my Aunt Maud
.......and told to march into the house THIS MINUTE!
of course I was punished for hiding and getting wet
for ruining my new sandals, and nearly catching pee-nee-monia
immediatly plopped into a tub of hot water and Ivory soap
then ordered to take a nap
.........................or just lie in bed . . and meditate on my shortcomings
Oh! but it was worth the imprisonment of a nap
for the awe and wonder which had passed my way
and caused me to say
......................................"thank you, Jesus . . Amen!"
....being born during a thunderstorm....she probably loved them from day one... 
Lindaland
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