Cottonwood

Lightning struck the cottonwood tree
In a blast of light
And an instant boom that shook
Our old house
Down to the Sioux Quartzite foundation
Windows rattling with fear and awe

It was across our large backyard
In the opposite corner
Of the empty lot next door
We wondered if our house had been struck
But the flash from that direction
Gave it away

The next morning in the breaking light
We ran over to take a look
To check on the old beast
And a white scar 4 to 6 inches wide
Ran from the tip top branch
Down the western side to the ground

The bolt had even punched a hole
About a foot deep into the ground
And the yard and street were littered
With the thick bark pieces off the tree
Chunks as large and as thick
As my skinny twelve year-old arm

​Over the years that scar healed slightly
Leaves quit growing on that branch
Off the main trunk
And I never forgot that flash & snap
Or will I forget that solid tower of age
Stepping in as sacrifice to nature’s fury.