After the Storm - Leanne Pflaum
Acrylic
22 1/4" x 28 1/2" x 3/4"
After the Storm
by Alycin Hayes
Moist air fills my nostrils with relief
as I survey the wet night’s destruction
An ancient maple tree split in half
shares soggy ground with fallen hydro poles
An absent buzz of electricity generates
a missing unheard silence
No power, no phone
No way to reach the outside world
I stand alone afraid,
hair uncombed, silk nightgown wrinkled
peering uneasily out my open kitchen door
Across the pink morning sky two great blue herons streak
A white tailed deer pushes her curious head from behind a fallen tree
to eagerly nibble fresh green leaves
A pair of wild turkeys proudly prance
in a clearing newly opened by last night’s tempest
I smile at their amusing dance
Looking up a red tailed hawk circles above
inviting me to explore her world
Cautiously I step outside
barefoot
feeling the tender bottoms of my feet
touch delicious damp cool earth
An intoxicating primordial current
of recognition opens within,
empowering me to truly hear
the essential missing silence