Walking

walking along the sands a time
a child holds the hand of his parent
walking with a quick gate
the child struggle to keep up,
looking at the parent with a plea
of desperation to slow down;
pointing to the death clouds
high above their head, the child
understands the urgency, picking
up the pace without hesitation,
dark clouds descend and the wind
begins to howl through the trees,
birds are no longer chirping nor
are any of them in sight...  a bolt
of lightning slashes its way down
from the sky - striking the parent
in the head and to the ground falls,
without making a sound or releasing
the hand of the child...  who, on the
ground sits like a dog with its master
waiting for normalcy to return...
and when no changes are made, a 
gust of wind scoops up the child
carrying its passenger high into the
as if the wind had the wings of a
bird, disappearing into the cloud.

March 20, 2024