Storms

This is something that may one day be history

At the end of 2016 we were driving across to Victoria from WA and the weather turned very nasty, really nasty we drove straight into a storm the sky suddenly was black, and i was reminded of the story of Chicken Little who ran around calling out the sky is falling, the sky is falling! That is just how it seemed the blackness engulfed the car and we had real trouble even with the headlights on, to see the road.

We decided the safest thing to do was keep driving and hope the storm would wear its self out, when ahead of us we could see some light down very low just like there was a train in a tunnel coming toward us!

It was not a train nor even a truck it was sunlight we had managed to get ahead of the storm, and with relief we drove out the other side, but I looked back and there behind us was a low black cloud, that looked like a cliff covered in black snow, with blue sky above it. I took some photos from our moving car.

 

As it seemed to be following us we didn't stop until we arrived at the next town, sorry not a town a garage, which had closed early so we along with many others were forced to spend the night just sleeping in the car, very glad we didn't put the tent up that night, as about midnight the storm caught up to us and caused floods in the middle of the Nullabour, the thunder and lightning rattled and banged and seemed to say to me you got away from me once, but I have caught up with you and you won't get away this time, as it left a trail of destruction right across southern Australia.

We arrived in Melbourne at the same time as the storm and with visibility down to about a meter we had to navigate our way through tollways we had never travelled on before, with water a foot deep everywhere.

We arrived safely but were not able to use the tent on the way over due to the storm, so we took our time a few weeks later on the return journey, and saw all the tourist places we had wanted to see on the way over.

This poem was written withing the day after we drove through the storm and finished it just after sleeping the night outside the garage.

THE STORM

The weirdest cloud I've ever seen sat on the ground tonight
It hung down just feet from the ground an eerie creepy site
Driving underneath a mushroom shape we drove for many a k'
The rain poured down it hung quite low and seemed to move our way
The cloud looked really fluffy but black as black as sin,
But suddenly the cloud was gone, we were driving in the sun!
I turned around and looked behind, and there it was that black
So many Ks across the earth that cloud sat as I looked back.
It didn't reach up to the sky but stopped above the ground
Like a cliff in black snow draped, shuddering I turned around,
I never saw a cloud like that and hope not to again!
I took some photos of that cliff shaped cloud as proof when we get home.
We met that storm cloud later we had stopped for the night
For at about twelve thirty that storm cloud was in sight
I felt quite sure it knew us and said you cannot flee
I'm in control I'm angry that you drove away from me!
It rumbled clattered banged and shook everything in its path
Left a long trail of destruction right across the earth,
For in its path it filled with rain every ditch and hole
But unknown to it, it did some good, for the animals and soil,
So when something bad is chasing you, just watch out yes you should,
For black clouds have a silver lining their rain does lots of good.