an ominous black and flashing storm
assaults the downtown noonday blocks
torrentially turtling all traffic in intersections
and punctuating violent, anomalous pause
in the usual sidewalk
babble of bodies.
only a few impulsive umbrellad bravadoes now
willing to suffer
the victimizing wet.
otherwise
people impatiently waiting
their sanctuaries in angry fret.
here, beneath a department store canopy,
a woman curses the weatherman.
there, stranded in a phone booth,
a man stamps puppet feet.
all along the avenues
hoots and howls of abject damnation
for nature and its tempers.
i, an omniscient observer, think now
of ancient fish fluent in the depths of abyssal seas,
while below in sewers
rats drown in the abundant drink.