Rain Pouring Down

Rain pouring down
Lashing against my window
The sash banging in the wind
Droplets of rain hitting the glass
Becoming rivulets and streaks

The wind ever stronger now
Howling through the gaps
Between sash and frame
The fire glowing brightly
Turf sparks escaping into the night

Then a gust comes down the chimney
The smoke wisping into the room
The dog shies away, his eyes smarting from the smoke
I tell him it’s alright and he wags his tail
Happy it’s not alight

A blinding flash fills the room with light
Then the inevitable wait
For the peal of thunder, six, seven, eight
It’s just a few miles away
I hope the fleet is safe and sound

The clock ticks and I fall asleep
The storm abating all the while
The dog’s on guard to wake me
in case an ember falls from the fire
I sleep right through the storm

Morning is upon us
I wake and rub my eyes
The fire’s gone out, quenched by time
The turf’s all gone and so is the storm
Calm has returned to our little cove
And the fleet is safe and sound.