The Destroyer

I am the swirling hurricane, wet wind,
hurling against trees and edifices, reforming beaches and lives.

I am the tornado, twisting darkly through town, like a frustrated toddler,
throwing everything akimbo.

I am the earthquake,
rolling and cracking that which you thought was solid and dependable,
stressing all you have built.

I am the flood, sudden or slow,
washing away that which stands in my path
whether plant, animal, person, or possession,
leaving behind my thick layer of debris and mud.

I am the swarm of small creatures
undoing the knitting together done by man or Mother Nature-
uncountable numbers of termites, bacteria and molds,
waiting to compost even your body back down to the elements.

I help you remember the impermanence of life, enriching by destroying.
I help you make something new, after all.
I help you remember that which cannot be destroyed.

--Terra Rafael