TROUBLESOME RISING DIGITAL ANTHOLOGY
Emergency Alert
Chris Wood
Charcoal clouds creep across the mountains.
Ragweed pollen, burnt oil, and humidity glue autumn leaves to the parking lot.
Bradford pear trees stand eerily still under ever darkening skies.
Large cold drops ping my umbrella.
iPhones bellow danger twisting our way,
approaching at 35 mph.
Yellow, red and green loop across the radar screen.
Coworkers litter the stairwell
scrolling for the latest news.
The September skyline tranquil as a painting.
Not a leaf blowing amidst tornado warnings.
Calm before the storm?
Your texts tell me otherwise.
Chris Wood writes poetry rooted in memory, faith, and Southern life. A Kentucky native now living in Tennessee, her debut chapbook, Yesterday Echoes, reflects generations and simple life. Her work appears in journals and anthologies, including Salvation South, American First Magazine, and January House Literary Journal. Learn more at https://chriswoodwriter.com.
