Dividing Lines

The August sky is not like other skies. It separates itself. Summer burns hot and brittle or wet and green. The August sky doesn't seem to care. The mix of clouds appears to happen at the flip of a calendar page. Tall, billowy, rising white and gray cumulus clouds mix at the perimeters of the west and the east. They darken and strengthen and push toward unseen dividing lines. Suddenly, they merge in the middle and crash into a symphony of light, wind, and rain, and then sneak off to another place, a place ready and thirsty for their waters or drenched and frightened of their output. Divided in opinions. Separate in locations.

The August sky is not like other skies. It brings to the forefront the first sitings of cold, wispy ice crystals and blue fields of grazing, white sheep. Not quite ready for the fruition of any kind of event from those soon-to-be fall and winter clouds, this 8th-month show of clouds teases us with what ifs and what is to come. Something we are beginning to be most ready for if the summer lags hot and sizzling, but a foreshadowing we dread if summer seems short on endless swimming days by the pool or sea and long on gray days packed with rain and mediocrity. Divided in opinions. Separate in locations.

This August's sky is not like other skies. It separates itself. It covers earth now driven by a maiden named La Nina. She is tough and sassy and has tossed humans about in flood waters and burned their homes to the ground.  She moves the currents in ways that bring sorrow to some and distributes sustenance that gives others joy and fills both hearts and bellies.  She confuses us with her repeating visits and makes us forget that each time she moves across our earth, its conditions creep toward harsher patterns. Patterns that somehow mirror our human hearts this August. Divided in opinions. Separate in locations.

Offered with prayers for unity and peace, Love Linda