In storm-ridden skies I feel comfortable and excited

And sometimes I imagine I’m a miniature version of myself

In a heavily wooded forest taking shelter from the storm

Under a giant dotted mushroom

Or in one of those burrows in the hole of a tree trunk

Like something from the movies I watched as a kid

I grew out of most childlike feelings

And my imagination has since morphed into a darker kind of trepidation

But that one feeling is of the easiest to slip back into

Whenever smoky clouds roll in and the energy in air dramatically shifts

The clouds take their shape into a canopy of trees

And suddenly I am but a small, defenseless creature of the wood

Protected from the rain but still surrounded by its rhythmic falling

Watching from my mushroom umbrella

As drops of rain land on the parasol of leaves around me

And dribble down the blades to the tune of an xylophone

As if God Himself is striking the keys with a soft mallet

Every drip drop drip drop

A subtle but melodic note

The patter of rain and the drum roll of thunder becomes a percussion ensemble

And the world around me a perfectly decorated terrarium

In storm-ridden skies I feel comfortable and safe

And my childlike imagination runs rampant once more