Post by stormwolf on May 10, 2008 16:32:35 GMT -5
Writen September 11, 2000
I remember the hot, dry sands of the desert and thinking, ‘how could anything thrive here in the middle of nowhere?’ As our tanks rolled across the seemingly endless sands the call came across the radio to park for the night. We rolled the tanks into a much-practiced circle and preformed our duties to the fullest extent as the night approached. It was February 22, 1991 and a war was on.
After the sunset and the evening’s meal of paper gruel and a bottle of water, my number came up for the guard duty. As I walked out to my post, a welcomed smell came to me on the open breeze and I relished the odor. I had been watching the sky for most of the day, knowing what was building. Very little rain fell upon this desert floor but when it did, the rain was so intense that it rivaled anything in the central United States. As darkness fully fell upon me, I stood there at my post, facing into the breeze, standing in anticipation.
On the horizon it loomed, dim flashes of light striking in a multitude of places, calling me, but I could not move. I could hear the others behind me gathering up supplies and battening down the hatches. I could sense their fear of what they did not understand. As if knowing, hearing my spirit, the thunderstorm approached. I once again turned and focused all my attention back towards the storm.
The breeze turned into a gust and the air immediately cooled wrapping its embrace around me wanting to pull me aloft to join its journey, but I could not move. The thunder rang a silent tune and as I watched the storm over my head, the lightning playing within the clouds. I heard another voice from the distance as if answering in tune with the song.
It was another storm gathering in the distance, calling for its companion. The second, much stronger then the first, came racing towards us at an alarming rate and the first awaited its embrace. I stood there in awe as the two storms collided and formed into one entity. I could feel the power of their love as they merged in total unison and all the while calling for my soul to join them. Stronger and stronger they grew. My heart was pounding at this joining that I had just witnessed, almost begging me to be freed of my bonds, but I could not move. I had angered them now; first they had called to me with their songs, and invited me to play within their mists. They would have even allowed me to participate within their passion. But now the wind and lightning grew more intense then ever before, and I stood there as bolts hit the ground all around me, yet I could not move. Then their anger subsided as they began to weep.
The rain fell upon this barren landscape as I turned to watch them leave. The rain covered my own tears as I watched the lovers fade into oblivion, and I sent out a silent, unanswered scream for their return. I finished up the rest of my shift in total silence, and even when the other storms played I could not bear to witness. As I lay there in my cot I wondered, “why me?” Out of all these people, they chose me to look upon their true faces! And still, to this day, some ten years later, I ask that same question.
Every time I see a thunderstorm, I find my memories falling back upon that moment where time stood still for me, hoping to catch a glimmer of my own future’s past, knowing that some day it will come again when the skies will once again call me by name, and when that time comes, I will be able to move.
Desert Storms
By Stormwolf Windwalker
I remember the hot, dry sands of the desert and thinking, ‘how could anything thrive here in the middle of nowhere?’ As our tanks rolled across the seemingly endless sands the call came across the radio to park for the night. We rolled the tanks into a much-practiced circle and preformed our duties to the fullest extent as the night approached. It was February 22, 1991 and a war was on.
After the sunset and the evening’s meal of paper gruel and a bottle of water, my number came up for the guard duty. As I walked out to my post, a welcomed smell came to me on the open breeze and I relished the odor. I had been watching the sky for most of the day, knowing what was building. Very little rain fell upon this desert floor but when it did, the rain was so intense that it rivaled anything in the central United States. As darkness fully fell upon me, I stood there at my post, facing into the breeze, standing in anticipation.
On the horizon it loomed, dim flashes of light striking in a multitude of places, calling me, but I could not move. I could hear the others behind me gathering up supplies and battening down the hatches. I could sense their fear of what they did not understand. As if knowing, hearing my spirit, the thunderstorm approached. I once again turned and focused all my attention back towards the storm.
The breeze turned into a gust and the air immediately cooled wrapping its embrace around me wanting to pull me aloft to join its journey, but I could not move. The thunder rang a silent tune and as I watched the storm over my head, the lightning playing within the clouds. I heard another voice from the distance as if answering in tune with the song.
It was another storm gathering in the distance, calling for its companion. The second, much stronger then the first, came racing towards us at an alarming rate and the first awaited its embrace. I stood there in awe as the two storms collided and formed into one entity. I could feel the power of their love as they merged in total unison and all the while calling for my soul to join them. Stronger and stronger they grew. My heart was pounding at this joining that I had just witnessed, almost begging me to be freed of my bonds, but I could not move. I had angered them now; first they had called to me with their songs, and invited me to play within their mists. They would have even allowed me to participate within their passion. But now the wind and lightning grew more intense then ever before, and I stood there as bolts hit the ground all around me, yet I could not move. Then their anger subsided as they began to weep.
The rain fell upon this barren landscape as I turned to watch them leave. The rain covered my own tears as I watched the lovers fade into oblivion, and I sent out a silent, unanswered scream for their return. I finished up the rest of my shift in total silence, and even when the other storms played I could not bear to witness. As I lay there in my cot I wondered, “why me?” Out of all these people, they chose me to look upon their true faces! And still, to this day, some ten years later, I ask that same question.
Every time I see a thunderstorm, I find my memories falling back upon that moment where time stood still for me, hoping to catch a glimmer of my own future’s past, knowing that some day it will come again when the skies will once again call me by name, and when that time comes, I will be able to move.
