The Tempest of October – The Darkness Arrives on a Storm

Hurried steps across the marshy field; knees weak, chest pounding
Constantly scanning the crushing blackness of the angry sky
Swollen clouds poised to erupt in volcanic glory; spilling icy rain
Swirling leaves pelting and scratching and gnawing at exposed skin
Bolts of electricity spar in corrals of darkness like petulant children
Glimpses of pure illumination peek and sneak and tease seductively
Distant rumblings posturing and whispering and stirring malevolence
The giant black boiling cauldron poised to spew vengeance and violence
The air thick with acrid ozone; squalling on untamed gusts and torrents
Each marker, a warning to all that dwell above to seek shelter with haste
The forest pathway narrowing as the bending branches scout for prey
Their magic mixed with ancient malcontent; dredging up secretive potions
Glowing orbs of free roaming lightning energize a momentary scene of chaos
Something sinister closing in; searching hungrily with a corrupt lethality
Footsteps hammering on loose rocks, eyes screaming, panting and gasping
A distant scream revealing a fright not known in this world or those below
Without warning, the staccato tempo begins; rich and hollow, deep and cold
An unseen symphonic direction, adding layer upon layer upon violent layer
Eruptions from the highest clouds shattering the silence with a deafening roar
Their gathering of ice, water, and freezing sleet, and the opening thunderclap
Torrential pieces of shattered ice dive earthward in a ever-widening breaker
Directionless echoes penetrating deep into the wounded and wavering souls
Mountaintops noisily reflecting the splattering rebounds of strike after strike
While frigid streams lustfully gorge themselves, swelling their raging carcasses
Further below, the brittle branches reach and bend and stretch to taste the soil
Tips caressing and touching and tasting the dampened earth and exposed shale
Overflowing waterways channel the newfound moisture to starving roots and trunks
Here and here and everywhere cries in bold unison…the Tempest of October!
She has arrived! Day and night no longer neighbors, up nor down, nor around
Disorientation in the deluge; soaking soil; too slick to sprint or walk or even crawl
Ears ringing, eyes stinging, and no hand of mercy shall be easily discovered
Anger elevated to fury and rage beyond all comprehension or abject fantasy
No option but surrender, complete capitulation, and mud decays to quagmire
Pavement heaved and slick with a wetness so much like the blood of slaughter
Fierce winds and the crescendo of heaving branches being ripped and stripped
Nothing dares advance nor shall enforcement of the natural laws be present
As if the oceans of Hell were torn from the underworld and spilled here forth
For hours that encompassed mere minutes, the punishments were administered
And for hours that worn into days and weeks, the noise rose like crashing waves
Until no more; the weight the assault on the senses in never-ending succession
Too much to bear, the fight has been lost and the storm once again prevails
And silence comes with the slip into unconsciousness and yet the rain still falls
The Tempest of October ushers in the Darkness That Rides on a Storm

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R J Schwartz
Latest posts by R J Schwartz (see all)
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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all. I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed. I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another. I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me. I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

5 thoughts on “The Tempest of October – The Darkness Arrives on a Storm

  • October 23, 2017 at 10:30 PM
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    Oh my gosh! Ralph, your excellent phrasing creates such vivid imagery – made me feel as if really experiencing the tempest and fear. Great work.

  • October 24, 2017 at 1:25 AM
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    Beautifully written Ralph, and so descriptive evoking fine imagery and your use of vocab is perfect for the piece. Might I suggest one small thing, (not meaning to be pertinent) but some of the use of ‘;’ is to me no right, as it generally denotes a change of thought, rather than carrying on in most cases. Don’t mean to be nit-picky, but it just came to mind while reading. Your work is always exemplary and this peace is no different. Cheers!

    • October 24, 2017 at 2:48 PM
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      Actually I’ve always been under the understanding that a semicolon is used to connect two closely related ideas, such as two independent clauses, or lengthy clauses which might get confusing if only a comma was the choice of punctuation. I believe my usage was correct, but then again it’s been a long time since I took a grammar class. If I’m not mistaken, a change in thought would be established in a sentence using a dash (-).

  • October 24, 2017 at 12:10 PM
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    Wow. The descriptive imagery here is immense, Ralph. Excellent work as always. Thoroughly enjoyed.

    • October 24, 2017 at 2:49 PM
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      Thanks Paul – I was thinking about the famous line….I was a dark and stormy night, and this emerged.

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