it came
after the calm
slowly
insinuating itself
in the tree tops
shaking
first gently
then with vehemence
the rooks called out
and scattered
the hay
bailed
ripping the
ropes
that
staved
its scatter
the turf smoke
tried to escape
by blowing back
into the hearth
making me cough
and splutter
as my eyes stung
and I gasped
for the door
colly ran
and hid
under the tractor
the cottage
I did not worry on
it had stood
many such
this side of hell
but the sea below
as my eyes cried clear
was boiling
god help those asea tonight
the sheep down
from summer pasture
lay immobile
along the ditch
lines of dirty white
rolls
the beast was loose
destroying all it could

I fell
a stone from a wall
caught me

my head was bleeding
my hand red wet

this is all I remember

awakening
the sun shone
the sky
was Atlantic blue
gulls were taunting
swirling up up
in the beyond
colly was licking my face
my head felt
as if it had been
lifted off and shaken
staggering
to the stone loose ditch
I heard
the cows were groaning
for milking
the ewes
had scattered far and wide
upon on the mountain
and along the shore
no time to recover

but we had survived again
in our house
set up the glen
neither landlords
nor wild nights
had taken us from our lair
beside the stream
below mountain dark
above the Cassy Waters
flow
the dolmen
stays
forever
just like
me

10/19/2013