A Midsummer Night’s Apocalypse

Cherry

By Turlough

Wed, 12 Jun 2024
  • 966 reads
18 comments
 

A Midsummer Night’s Apocalypse

 

Amidst this midsummer night’s apocalypse

Electric rain musters at fig leaf tips

Bombarding hostas, cool water drips

Snails and frogs come out to play

Cicadas perform their cabaret

And Jasmine’s sultry sweet bouquet

Enchants my dream though I’m awake

Dazzling bolts from heavens snake

Across a sky ablaze, our valley shakes

With just garden life for company

I sink in wild Rodopi tea

As Zeus strikes nature’s timpani

 

 

Image:

Storm clouds gather over our valley.

Certificate 12
Poem
Poetry in Commotion
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

If that isn't an apocalyptic sky, I don't know what is. Summer storms are beautiful but worrying, especially when you're staying somewhere with a few holes in the roof (I speak from experience)

 

Submitted by Turlough on

A confession here... the photograph is heavily edited. I'd have loved to have used a picture of a lightning fork but I couldn't capture one with a camera to save my life.

The holes in the roof, I'm sure, were for ventilation purposes. See how your hosts showed concern for your comfort.

And thank you for the cherries.

Turlough

Submitted by Di_Hard on

been a bit windy here lately but feeling it was becalmed after reading this! Loved it though :0) Wish I could think up such rhymes, they really add to the excitement, along with your wonderful imagery.
Also because of the title, imagining a very pissed of Titania with her flowery crown all bedraggled

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Aye, poor Ttiania. Though I'm feeling a bit pissed off myself at the moment, and shellshocked perhaps.

We had a huge hail storm this evening. We didn't dare go near the windows because we were worried they were going to break. We have some broken roof tiles so the roof leaked a bit. Our cars look like someone has been going at them with a hammer... dozens of dents in the bodywork, broken lights and broken mirrors. And our garden that only this morning looked so beautiful has been swept away. There are very few leaves left on the trees, there are many broken branches and in places even the bark has been stripped off by the hail stones.

But we're lucky. It's been a lot worse for some of our poor Bulgarian neighbours who say they've never seen anything like it before. Roofs and windows smashed to bits and car windscreens broken. Even windscreen wipers and petrol tank covers have been ripped off. A young woman was telling us that she was running home carrying her little boy when it started. They're both covered in bruises from the hailstones now and the kid is still very upset. 

It's the first time ever in my life that the weather has scared me.

Turlough

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

That does sound incredibly scary - and your poor garden too. I hope your animals are ok? How terrifying for those people who got caught in it! No warning from your weather forecasters?

 

Submitted by Turlough on

We were warned there'd be a storm, possibly with hail, but that's quite common for this time of the year in this part of the world. Nobody expected it to be this bad though. Bulgarian neighbours in their sixties said they had never seen the like.

I feel a bit of a prat having written about last night's apocalypse which was nothing in comparison to what we had today.

I'm glad it's dark now because I can't bring myself to look out of the window. Everything's broken.

Turlough

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I'm so sorry - hope there's something you can salvage tomorrow

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Grapes, plums, figs and pears scattered everywhere on the floor. Hydrangeas that had dozens of huge white flowers this afternoon are reduced to a few twigs poking out of the ground. It'll all be nice again, but probably not this year.

Ah well, worse things have happened at sea, which is what I used to say when I was at sea and consequently didn't work on ships for very long.

Turlough

Submitted by celticman on

wow, that's a storm, indeed. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Aye, if Carlsberg did storms...

Turlough

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I'm so sorry! Sounds terrifying, surprised it has not been in our news. That poor little boy, and his Mum trying to protect him. And your garden! Heartbreaking for you. With your supercharged plants I hope new shoots are showing by next week

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thanks Di.

I doubt if it was even on our news in Bulgaria. Apparently it was a fairly local thing. Some people in our village have said that it was a mini tornado. Friends we have 20 kms away only had a bit of rain.

As for the garden, fingers crossed. 

Turlough

Submitted by airyfairy on

The storm sounds horrific. Hopes for your garden - heart-breaking after your work on it. And the poor animals.

I must admit, after having had experience of a leaky roof in my previous home, I am selfishly glad that I now live in a ground floor flat and any deficiencies up above are not my problem.

Hoping everything is recoverable and the weather is calmer for you.

Submitted by Turlough on

Thank you AF.

Today has been a beautiful, sunny, warm and miserable day as we started the clearing up operation.

Gardens are like football seasons... next year will be better.

Turlough

Submitted by marandina on

"I sink in wild Rodopi tea

As Zeus strikes nature’s timpani.."

That's a moody, brooding piece. Ominous photo too. Enjoyed!

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thanks Paul.

It turned out that that storm was the lull before the mother of all Veliko Tarnovo storms.

We're still stunned here.

Turlough

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Clever! Beautiful images! Tom

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Thanks very much Tom. It's kind of you to say.

Turlough