After High Winds

After the high winds...

To say tornado sounds pretentious
like I am borrowing more pity than I deserve
after all, there was no spiral
just a strong, strong wind
pulling and tossing pieces of our farm about

No injuries
except the trees
(I include the trees in the casualties, for they are living
and will be scarred)

The horses are okay.
The people are safe.

What we tried to make
has fallen.
Three times the structures torn.

But we are okay
we remember through the drips into the kettles on the dresser
we survive unharmed
almost unbothered
we say through the stream of water running under rains.

After high winds
we are tossed about
feeling guilty for complaining
and neglected for the wait.

It is safe here,
we say as we dig a hole for a dead horse.
The mud will dry,
we say about the filth.
This is aftermath.
We survived the storm.
Now we just live through today.