Monday, December 31, 2018

I feel helpless in the face of it and hear my grandfather laughing still


along the oceanside
seems my grandfather was there
mother and friends
sitting at table close to the surf
an open air place
but we are inside
there is an open window
behind my grandfather and friends
I can see the ocean behind them
there is no glass of window frame
the interior is a sea green
the table before us
is loaded down with food
a summer breakfast
as my grandfather is talking
I watch the waves come in
I see the blue of a waves rising
higher and higher
and I realize it is going to crash
into the room
I warn my grandfather
he just laughs
and the wave splatters into the room
only slightly and delightfully
everyone laughs
but I can see the coming swells
are bigger and bluer and higher
the next swell builds
and rises up in the frame of the window
and the wave crashes into the room
soaking everyone
knocking things off the table
now there is concern
but still laughter
no one is taking this seriously
as they all comment
on how unusual that was
I see the next swell coming
an enormous wave
much larger than the earlier ones
I realize this wave will
destroy the building
and overwhelm all of us
I watch as the water rises
out of the frame of the window
now entirely a deep blue
like a painting on the wall
I can hear a thunder
like a train rumbling along
the tracks at a terrible speed
I feel helpless in the face of it
and hear my grandfather laughing still