thunder & lightning

tonight while i work, i track the impending storm. severe thunderstorm warnings for our area - threats of damaging winds, frequent lightning, and penny-sized hail. i update the animated radar map frequently and watch as the storm approaches. soon enough i hear the rumbling of distant thunder. standing in the open doorway, i watch far-away lightning in the west illuminate the sky. i rush to shower, to finish the dishes, to close down the windows. as the storm begins to rage, i sit safe on the couch in the very center of the house, away from windows. i mean to read but instead watch the fireworks in the sky and try in vain to count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder.