Tempestuous Stirrings

Gold cherry

By skinner_jennifer

Thu, 21 Sep 2023
  • 1676 reads
17 comments
 

No solace found in the night,

what wakes and leaves me

cowering beneath quilt?

My childhood imagination

speaks of mischievous fears,

spine chilling rumbles echo

causing fretful escalation.

 

Suspended by time with

each flash communicated,

heavens open up; such

deluge of fury rages in the

here and now, latent infant

memories haunting sleep.

 

Thunder booming like an

angry predator, leaves me

with jumpy feline panic;

while sheet lightening

searches darkness, tries

to tamper with restless

tossing,

 

electric emanations set in

motion...thoughts charged,

stimulating volatile waves;

memories soaring through

passages of brain.

 

Now anxiously putting pen

to paper, writing with such

vigour; clarity of words let

me wallow in stimulating

innocence, pricking the

here and now.

 

Hearing strong winds while

watching flame of flickering

candlelight; gusts chase that

monster storm away, darkness

subsides and hour of sleep

arrives, voices disappear

with storm clouds, leaving

happy dreams.

 

 

Dear diary...poem about the

storm that woke me at 1.30am

on Monday 18th September 2023,

reminding me just how scared

I was of thunder and lightening

as an infant.

 

Pixabay free to use image.

 

Certificate U
Poem
Dear Diary
Nature
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)
Journal
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Sooz006 on

Beautiful imagery. One of my dogs flatly refused to go out in it. I had to stand outside with him. I love a good storm and don't ever remember being afraid of them as a child. I was terrified of ghosts in my room.
 

Lovely, Jenny. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Sooz,

when I was very young I would usually try and be brave and just hide beneath the covers in a storm. But now I'm just jumpy when the booms come. Lightening flashing normally sends my brain into overdrive and I can't sleep.

I do feel for your dog Flatly...poor thing. They don't really understand what's going on, a bit like when on bonfire night with all those fireworks going off.

I was just so inspired to record that night, and when the I. P. came up, just couldn't resist putting pen to paper.

Thanks for reading and letting me know your thoughts.

Jenny. smiley

P. S. I know what you mean about the ghosts in your room. I always felt like that on windy nights. I would see shadows moving coming to life, playing tricks with my imagination...very scary.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

People often seem to say that children enjoy a horror story. It might be so, but only really if they do know what to do with real panics and worries, and that there is a God in control and they can trust him. And therefore get a perspective on teasing and frightening fears. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon,

I found this week's I. P. just gave me the inspiration to write this poem, it certainly bought those childhood memories tumbling back to me.

That storm was so extreme I was glad we live on a hill. The next day my partner read in the local paper that town was flooded in places, and showed the water knee deep around certain parts.

I'm sure there's a higher power out there that keeps an eye on us, just need to trust and have belief. Your faith is valid and honest, it brings you peace and love which is so important.

I appreciate you taking the time to read and share your thoughts.

Thank you.

Jenny. smiley

 

 

Submitted by celticman on

happy dreams, indeed Jenny. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jack,

as daylight was approaching, thankfully I finally got off to sleep, and my dreams were happy. wink

Always grateful for your feedback that gives me a smile.

Many thanks.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Wow! You have brilliantly evoked the atmospheric brutality of thunder and lightning!

"such deluge of fury rages in the here and now"
"sheet lightning searches darkness"

wonderful!

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hello Di,

I'm so glad I could evoke that experience, it's always good to know the descriptions work. I think there was so much electric in the air that night, it sent my imagination into overdrive, which was such a help in writing this poem, as once I started, just couldn't stop, and had to capture every detail for my memory.

Appreciate you taking the time to read and let me know you liked.

Many thanks.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Editors,

Thank you so much for the lovely cherries. yes

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

This is a beautiful insight into the primeval fears and memories evoked by a thunderstorm, and it's our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day! Please do share/retweet if you enjoy it too.

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Wow! What a lovely surprise to tune into Airyfairy. So glad I was able to evoke the thunderstorm in this poem.

Thank you so much for the pick of the day. Now it's Saturday and I have something to celebrate. smiley

Many thanks again.

Jenny. yes

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

Congratulations Jenny - you've really conveyed the drama and the fear. I don't think I've ever minded storms in England , but have been in some spectacular ones in other countries which really did terrify me (one especially but that was mainly watching rain come flooding through the ceiling and into all the electric cables)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi insert, that must have been terrifying to have rain flooding through the ceiling into all the electric cables, can't imagine the danger you must have felt. I must admit that when I was in Florida the thunder and lightening storms never bothered me at all, mostly I suppose because they were out at sea, and it was like watching disco lights flashing. But the rain storms were like nothing I've ever experienced before, with such strong winds that would take the car door off if you let go.

I think the memory was so strong with last Monday's storm, because it lasted for what seemed like hours, and just kept on coming, I could almost feel the earth shaking the thunder was so loud.

Anyway many thanks for the congratulations, it was such a nice surprise. Glad I was able to convey the drama.

Many thanks.

Jenny. smiley

 

 

 

Submitted by marandina on

"Thunder booming like an

angry predator,"

 

A tempest of a diary entry, Jenny. Enjoyed the electrically charged words. Paul :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Paul,

lovely to hear from you. Electricallly charged words is exactly right, it summed up my experience which I just had to capture in a diary entry. I can look back now and remember the day and date it occured.

Isn't it amazing how the weather can conjure a memory from the past? Storms always remind me of childhood fears, but also of my time in Florida, where the storms would be so bad...yet the sun would return quickly and you would never know the storm had been, because it was so hot.

I really do appreciate you reading Paul. Thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Great, evocative poem Jenny, alive with the storm you were experiencing and the fears you had as a child. Well deserving of golden cherries. I could feel the thunder and see the flashes of lightning across the sky in your very descriptive passages. I didn't fear storms in New York, they weren’t as loud or as threatening as they are here in Florida. Becasue the land here is flat, so the sky to ground lightning hits closer, and can and does start fires. So, a troubling thought when storms are fierce, as they are in certain months here. But I’ve learned to live with them, and respect them. Keeping a healthy fear, I’ll stay indoors when the clouds grow dark and watch from a safe place.- As a child I had a very strange fear, not of storms but of airplanes passing overhead; I feared they would crash into the house...I’m not sure where that came from but I remember how afraid I would become if they sounded too close and I'd run to my parent's room and wake them up...Enjoyed reading your poem very much, so glad you posted it!smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Penny,

I was fascinated by your own personal fear. We live on a flight path, and I always wonder about the planes flying overhead, I think it's quite natural to show fear of them crashing, it means you're always open to the possible dangers. 

We were staying in a Hotel almost on the beach, and had a window that faced the sea, it was wonderful to wake up to every morning...thankfully the room was air conditioned as most are in Florida. We nearly did buy a house out there, but the job my husband at the time was offered fell through. Funnily enough I used to love the sun and the heat, but now I can't stand it...funny how we change as we get older.

We went on a boat trip up the Everglades and got stuck in a really bad storm with very strong winds and heavy rain, thankfully there wasn't any thunder and lightening, we just had to stop the boat and hunker down till it was over and the sun came out again to dry us off, it was quite an adventure and one I won't forget in a hurry.

The fact that I could conjure up the atmosphere for you in this poem has made me happy, and I do appreciate hearing of your own experiences. I hope you always stay safe and aware.

I'm grateful to you for reading and commenting. Thank you kindly.

Jenny. smiley