April is National Poetry Month. I’m celebrating with Writer’s Digest’s Poem a Day Challenge. Today’s theme is “damage.”
Lightning Bark
One rainy night
the storm stabbed down a blazing spear
striking a young oak
tracing a dark line
Over time
exposed inner bark
scarred into a rough froth
the tree grew sound
and strong
reaching for the sun
until another strike
from a falling limb
revealed another darkness
a streak of rot
hidden
damage
overcome but never forgotten