Tornado season arrives to greet us,
Lost in thoughts of neon green.
Wind, rain and an eerie calmness,
Consumes our dark afternoon hour.
Content that I’m where I should be,
Mother Nature unleashes her power.
Siren blows, to the basement we go,
Relieved to know God’s protecting.
Stay calm, Big Brother is watching,
Our vicious and swirling Nebraska sky.
Three sisters grew up trusting him,
Today proves nothing has changed.
Fire Chief’s job begins, as we wait,
We love our big brother, please keep him safe.
Amen
*******
I wrote this poem during my first weekend in Nebraska. Mid June weather at its finest, my friends. We’re all fine and the destruction was minor for my hometown. (Weeks earlier the destruction much more severe.) The clouds, however, unforgettable.
Oldest Daughter & Red Headed Sister 
Thanks Aud. Just a simple correction we are spotters, not chasers. Being there to help is what we do. Your worst day, is our best day. Be safe everyone!
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Oops. 🙂 Thank you!
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Those guys are nuts!
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Audith, loved that poem! And wow! Those clouds look…well, so neatio, but so deadly! It seems calm…for some strange reason. That would be a bit frightening, I think. Good think your brother knows what’s what, though!
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Thank you, Duketh! *smiles brightly* These clouds here are vicious, don’t you think? It is always calm before a storm and I think one of the most beautiful moments ever. Yes, he signals the siren like a champ when it is time and everyone stays safe. I can’t remember a single death via tornado in my hometown since he’s been chief. Big brother is a great storm chaser.
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Wow. I’m impressed. I don’t know if I’d like doing that! I’d probably be too scared or something. Yes, those clouds are just…mean!
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Yes, well, there’s a reason that I am not a firewoman…
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A tremendous cloud in that photo, very nice in showing that immense power of the storm. Your caring and worry over your big brother come right through in your touching poem. He must be a strong guy to have three sisters trust him. And you stay careful out there in those tornadoes, Dorothy 🙂
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Oh, come on! I’m much cuter and smarter than Dorothy, Gus. My big brother is tough pain in the butt cowboy. We built him that way. 🙂
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Beautiful clouds..
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Thank you. I wish I had a proper camera and time to learn how to take photos. Until then I shall settle for catching life on my phone.
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That’s one scary sight you caught there, Aud. Your words paint it. Your Fire Chief brother is a brave one, yes.
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This photo was taken by my 15 year old nephew, Chum. We couldn’t believe it. Yes, that cowboy brother has always been a bit of an adrenaline junky.
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Your nephew got a great one there, Aud. And your cowboy brother, whew.
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Ranks right up there with this sports|music writer I know…. 😉
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Why thank you so much, Red. ;-o
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You’re welcome, Sir 🙂
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What a sky. I pray it won’t be too bad a season for you.
Leslie
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My guess and hope is that it is coming to an end here by the end of August. Thank you, Leslie.
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God bless.
Leslie
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Thanks! Blessings, Leslie xx
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That cloud looks like a tsunami in the sky!
Blessings on your brother.
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I thought the same thing, Shari. He’s a tough cowboy that brother of mine. He lives for the thrill of it all. Thank you.
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Just had some wine, so Let me just get this out of my system…
“Wow, Red, that just blew me away.”
OK. Now. Sorry, but I had to. I just had to. 🙂
I saw the sky turn green and purple and a mile-wide tornado passed overhead on it’s way to Xenia, OH, late one summer afternoon, where it touched down and went through a suburb like a lawnmower through a pile of leaves, then struck the center of town. A long time ago. Killed 35. It’s an awesome, terrible thing to see. I had to work on insurance fraud protection and spent the next two days there, jaw on the ground most of the time because of the utter destruction. But the most amazing sight was a whole row of 60-foot oak trees along a levee that had been plucked out of the ground like Vidalia onions by the wind and laid now in a neat row. The power it took to do that… And they still had all their leaves and branches intact, but roots were blown clean of dirt. You brought back some vivid memories.
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Okay, first of all, it shouldn’t take wine to tell me your joke. I love a good joke. Secondly, I love your style, Hem. I like that you called me Red. Keep it up. *smiles*
*giggle* I’m glad you took the risk. Funny guys are the best of men. I think.
Now. Your flashback gave me a flashback. I have a few breath stealers myself. Tornadoes are vicious beasts. I saw an entire hog farm go from farm to field when I was sixteen. My best friend’s farm. Crazy. These experiences of ours are definitely life changers, Hem. Now I need wine. Join me if you’d like. 😉
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I’ll do just that. 🙂
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Good! 😉
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Written very well.
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Thank you, Sir. I appreciate you saying so. Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a sweet compliment. ~Audrey
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EeeK! Scary sky!
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Brenda, I know. It was truly something to see.
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I saw the sky turn green and ominous, but only once. And it was scary!
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It can be and usually is, Brenda. I grew up around these storms my entire life, so strangely enough I find them stupidly intoxicating.
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It is exciting to feel your hair raise and know that a normal day has become life or death.
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Yes, I think you’re right. 🙂
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Nebraska is the scariest state because of the storms.
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It can be, John. My hometown is right in the middle of tornado alley.
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Wow!!!!!pictures and words perfectly clear….
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Thank you! Austin, got the best picture.
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