Rain began in the predawn
until by midmorning county trucks
block flooded highways and police
patrol railroad crossings where
signal arms rise and fall with
every roll of thunder
flood warnings are out for even the big river
and stock huddles while lightning slices
sky and gray water swirls around roots
of daylilies drowning in the ditch
newly planted fields pool with rain
we want to stop but it won’t stop as
forecasts predict far more in the wake of
yesterday’s tornado that destroyed
the south wing of the Lutheran church
felling headstones from their mountings
in the Civil War churchyard
umbrellas drip in the mud room as rain
tattoos the roof, streaks windows
and then between drops a bright slash
of scarlet borne on blurring wings as
the first Ruby-throated hummingbird
returns to the feeder locked into memory
and suddenly rain loses its ability
to frighten no matter if it stops or not.