Twister
By Chantel C. Guidry

I dreamed of tornadoes last night.

I looked out into the distance
And off on the horizon
I watched them form out of nothing at all.
One moment they weren’t there
but in the beat of my heart they were
swirling
swirling
swirling.
They appeared white and puffy,
frothy and savage,
like storm clouds deranged and gone wild.

I’ve never seen a tornado
in my wide awake life,
but last night
they haunted my sleep.

Coming toward me,
No place to hide,
No way to make an escape.

I felt fear and excitement,
elation and terror,
my whole life
narrowed down
to hot wind and dry dust.

— Chantel C. Guidry lives in Lawrence. Poet’s Showcase features work by area poets. Submit your poetry via e-mail with a subject line of Poet’s Showcase to mpaget@ljworld.com or send typewritten (not handwritten) submissions to Mindie Paget, 645 N.H., Lawrence 66044, attn: Poet’s Showcase. Teen writers should submit their work to the 18 & Under page at teens@ljworld.com.