Hurricane Matthew declares war,

breath of suspense crashing on sands,

drowning me darkly in confines of seaweed.

I linger for a moment in waves of fear

at this monster betraying my trust,

stealing the life from cinnamon flakes

scattered on shores I may not see again,

rain tattooing on tattered dunes,

soulless eyes of handcuffed tempests,

bleeding tears upon my beloved seas.

Storm blasts open hovering graves,

death measures of the hangman.

I forsake my home with trembling limbs,

savagery of a wolf flooding my wet feet,

screaming palms battered in gusts,

onyx gale wraps hands around begging oaks.

Life of past unframed and cast aside,

black beauty of nature’s work -

a negative entity leaving death in its path

leaving me with missing pieces as

birds fly lifeless in raging skies.

I stand strong in dwelling, battered, but

my trust is betrayed by exploding waves -

a stair leading nowhere from wooden decks.

I must ride the tidal waves to shelter

a mandatory evacuation holds death over heads,

streets flooding in my heart as the wild beast

leaves its calling card of loss and heartache.

I beg to walk through the storm soaring around me

and return to my love, my cherished sea

please stretch out your arms in your warmth

welcome me home to my sacred place, unscathed,

when storm’s wrath and destruction is expended.