Tempestuous Arrogance

In a few hours the raging display of talent by the weather gods will begin. It is their moment to exhibit their divine rule over the elements, to silence everything else with beautifully perfected brute force.An army of clouds has been gathering since day-break, slowly marching with the ever-changing colour of the open sky. In the beginning they are still a youthful, inexperienced troop that is scattered across the vast expanse of this endless sky, but with every passing hour and under close inspection it can be seen that the army is advancing with silent and premeditated stealth. They are pulling together slowly until finally they have covered and shut out the outer world, creating a barrier that allows not a single ray of light to break through. There is no mistaking them now, the army of heavy grey clouds is armed and bellicose. They have created an unyielding arena that protects and allows the storm to perform and spew its regal might unhindered.The buildings are draped in darkness now, there are no stars quietly gazing upon them like ordinarily…the army of vapour has remained unwavering.And with that, the stage is set.The show commences with an overture by the wind. The rhythmic howling through the deserted streets sways the city to its own pulse. The trees give themselves up to be played upon, each branch achingly submitting to the role of a string on an instrument. With every gust the wind becomes more vigorous until it rips out anything that dares to be in its way.Water begins to violently crash upon the innocent ground below and creates a stream no less menacing and forceful than the thunder that seems to grunt the commands of the gods for this overwhelming procession.Every part of the storm plays its own character, firmly capturing the imagination and awe of those watching.The final climactic scene of the night is still to come though. Without warning and without having to announce itself, the lightning cuts across the sky, drawing all attention to itself. For one or two seconds the audience is consumed by the dazzling display of unrivalled elegance by the electrically charged currents that light up the stage once more. The audience hungers for more, eagerly anticipating the next strike, gasping and pointing at the intensified bolts. By now it is not just one lightning bolt that lights up the stage, but numerous ones. They are competing, using their sword-like appearance to fence and assert dominance. But the duels are short-lived and once again, the audience feels a lustful longing for the brilliance from just a moment ago in the heavy darkness the lightning has left in its wake.Soon after, the orchestra, headed by the wind and the rain, also dies down and a last rumble of the thunder is heard in the distance as the army above disintegrates, finally allowing a curtain of stars to fall around the empty theatre of the satiated gods.

by Svenia Ratheiser, German International School, Cape Town South Africa