Such a turbulent, pitiless, brutal battering. This powerful storm wind pushes relentlessly through the defenceless trees of the creek. It lashes most at the isolated and vulnerable, stripping them bare of grey green winter cloaks, whipping the fabric of canopies to ragged threads, blasting layers of protective cladding away into a roaring tempest. This scouring wind probes incessantly for weakness, fissures in the gnarly bark skins, cracks in the very bones of each noble specimen mercilessly exposing deficiencies as it flails and lays bare its victims with neither remorse nor respite. Over extended over and over, flawed limbs fail first fracture, snap and drop. Crowns too heavy with water shake and quiver. Sodden feet lose their grip on the world. Once stately trunks twist, rock, waver, shudder and fall. And the sound of the final defeat is an explosive crack, the collapse a mighty crash, and the thud at the end is dead.
For today’s dVerse poetics Sarah prompted us to think and write about the elements. I chose air/wind because I often find myself contemplating the fierceness of a storm’s breath as it can turn the tranquility of our peaceful riparian zone into a deadly maelstrom.
seanmathews.blog 
It lashes most at the isolated and vulnerable
Like so much in life. Thank you for this reminder of the power of air. It is truly awe-inspiring to think what something we are barely aware of can do.
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It appears we will be much more conscious of it in the years to come. we are certainly seeing wetter. wilder and more frequent storms here.
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I like storms–within reason. When they get really wild it’s scary.
–Shay
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Sean, your imagery is spot on! It is heartbreaking yo see the devastation caused by storms.
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So passeth Holocene Edens … so much flourishes on the thinnest of margins; when the elements intensify their calibrations, so too the font of the poem, its reading. The language approaches madness, Lear in the storm, Exxon Mobil hunkered down. How are we redefined as the poetry ramps up?
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We are bearing witness to the madness. That is how we are redefined.
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Wow! Your description of of a storm’s destruction is awe inspiring. You draw the final struggle of the trees in the storm so well: twist, rock, waver, shudder and fall… the language evokes nature’s fury in all of its glory.
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Thank you Tanmay. We get a good view of the action!
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Superb Sean, opening lines were powerful and had me hooked straight away! 👌👍👏😁 Descriptions were strong and evocative!
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Thanks Ken, It is something of a spectacle to witness.
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I can only imagine Sean! 👍😁
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You held nothing back in describing the immense power of the wind. Vivid imagery that brings back memories of Storm Sandy for me. As a tree lover, it’s hard to see them as victims.
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If the trend of more violent storms continues I fear many more victims.
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