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Tornado


by Damion Hamilton



Bullets and cars can kill in the city


The weather doesn't feel right


It was hot yesterday.


And has now gotten cooler


The wind blows heavy,

And it's raining


The sky has turned green


As people sit down to hear
The news reports on the radio


The tornado might hit us,

Everyone seems to know this


I know it too


Today was just a typical day,

Like any other


Until the winds hit, and you hear 

The sirens,


And people got FEAR in their eyes


As they check their cell phones.


Homes are damaged in a surrounding county


Less than a mile away



Tornado tore the roof off Lambert Airport,


Sounds like hearsay, until you see it


Might ass well keep drinking at the bar


When you think that you could have lost

Everything 



You look out the window,  and  cars are going

In strange directions on the streets in Friday night
Traffic


Somebody says the major roads and two major

Interstates have been shut down


You think to yourself:  did the job get hit?

Did the house get hit?
You lost everything




You didn't know it was that many people

On the streets till the roads get shutdown,


And see the  large trees and the wires laying on 

The road.



The businesses along the main road have

No power, on a Friday night


The cops are out diverting traffic



No way you going home tonight.


You sit in in your car and try to go

To sleep


You wonder did the house or job get hit?



You can't sleep for long


You think about fear 

And fear is right in front of you

Not something vague

You wake up

Then later into the night of the morning

You hope there are less cars on the road

U hope that they people have found someplace
To go


The police have opened the main road


Interstate 70 has opened back up

It's dark


The only light comes from the cars from

Miles around 


Trees and debris are laying off to the 

Side of the highway or in the middle lane


The highway looks like something out

Of an horror of science fiction film



Things look bad:  You lost everything



You wonder why you got on the interstate?


You want to turn back towards the main road

But you cant

You drive several miles down the highway


Things look better the farther you from the

Storm damage


You think it's strange how certain areas can

Get hit, while others don't receive any damage



You get off the highway towards your exit


And your home area has been hit


The street and traffic lights are out.  The lights

From homes are out.



The only light comes from your vehicle,

And the occassional passing car.


Most people seem to be sitting in their house

In the dark




You keep driving until you find artificial lights
From somewhere


All those lights you took for granted illuminating the
The night



I think of aGeorge Carlin bit,   something about
Civilization being destroyed completely without  electricity 



You think about all the comfortable cozy days  of your life

Were you felt clean. Warm and with out hunger.


You feel like those days will be gone forever.




No home.  No lights.  No food.  No job.  No money.



It's strange how things could change in less than a day



I drive towards the Express Scripts Headquarters, who have
The only lights in the area, adjacent to the university 


There's no train I can catch outta there,  I'm stuck




I wonder how desperate, crazy and violent people will get
Without the basic of necessities for a few days or maybe longer.


The mob is below me



I try to fall asleep in my car.  Ever tried fall asleep in your vehicle?

It's not comfortable if you want to. I toss around every five minutes.


I try to shut my brain up, and tell myself:



It was all bad dream.



But it's not, 


Nature never is






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