Damburst (Poetry)

Held back hard as breath
caught in the earth’s hollow chest
pretending to be at peace
but the weight of it always there
pressing — pushing at the edges
threatening quietly with soft growls and vague
memories bubbling under the surface
who sees the odd trickle breaking free
and flow for a moment ... to hesitate
perhaps think better of it

Reflecting the world that passes over
its moods change with the seasons —
the prevailing weather and a ramble of visitors —
guests who skim the surface
hardly dreaming of all that lies beneath
they come and go thinking they know
the relationship —
its shape and size they recognise
but fail to fathom its darkest
deepest secrets

Then there came a sudden night of lashing rain
that undid all those careful years
of well-maintained and really way too tidy
acts of conservation
Storm-stripped trees watched red danger levels rise
the wind shrieked more alarming news
as lightening struck
and fizzing sky blew the hidden fuse
a creak, a crack let oily-black
waters burst on through

Released — the artificial lake brought chaos
with its freedom carved
a new life from the ruins of the old
as proof no man can hope
to keep their hold on passion
when it’s plain our natures rule us
there’s no wall we can build
that will indefinitely resist that emergency
only the most frantic heart can
fully understand