child of the storm

you should have seen the place i was in today
a huge old stockyard, made all of wooden boards
at every wrong angle you can imagine.
the building i entered was a maze of pens and chutes
and collapsing timber ceilings high above dangling
beams like icicles in the sections where they hadn't fallen in completely.
in the wild winds, the structure made a symphony of sounds -
the groans and sighs of the weakened wood shifting
and here and there, pops and crashes as pieces broke loose.
odd though it is to say, it was beautiful, and i was not afraid.
i took my pictures and went outside onto the grounds,
dozens of different types of plants and flowers
carpeting the broken asphalt and dirt,
running rampant up buildings, posts, gates and fences...
and as the storm clouds gathered overhead,
only one thought was in my head,
louder and clearer than any noise could ever possibly be:

i love this.