Wind. Winding up like a batter about to swing. Then smashing the ball to oblivion and gone. Wind. Slamming into the house and rattling the windows. Howling around the eaves and whistling through the cracks. Think your house is sealed up tight. Wind will tell you.

Wind. Spinning up like a motor bent on overload. Racing faster and faster, changing pitch as it goes. Higher and higher. Pushing freezing rain against the windows. Tick, tick, tick-tick-tick. Rapid fire.

Sleep. Not well or long. Wind awakes. Did I stack the chairs? Have they left the deck by ones and twos? Do my neighbors own them now?

Lie and listen. Wind, bellowing like a beast outraged. Anger spent, it drops into a stupor only to take up the rage once more. Jolted from my doze. Will the trees survive? What about the birds? Safe in my bed I wonder, how do they survive?

Morning. Bright and sunny. First time in days. Wind, in its fury has pushed the clouds away. Last leaves are chased from the trees. And no more need to rake the yard scoured clean by Wind.

Quiet … after so much noise for so long. Empty. Missing something. Wanting Wind!