The gathering storm

That’s what we see in the news these days: weather-related content. The heat dome, rare summer breeze and gathering storm.

We have had a lot of warning signs. Signs that say, behave! I can come with forces much greater than yours. Ironically, with so serious a subject like Nuclear Fission, we’ve got Barbillion (new combined term for a summer blockbuster).

In short, the trivia always gets the attention. Temporal over eternal.

I was once asked in class whether “low” or “high” brow will dominate. Not too many agreed with me that pop culture will prevail. And that was 40 years ago. Here we are today, as evidenced at the theatre near you.

The parking lot at the gym filled up at 6AM. We need to do all we need to early in the day. Or else. Hostages in the house, conditioned by air conditioner, restrained by the merciless weather even when we’re all bi-pedalist.

Made to run. Born to run. In place. Stay put. Locked up. No “Last Dance” (Sharon Stone movie, about last-minute clemency, only to have the execution carried out anyway. Put on, take off. Then put on, permanently).

I hear the sound of death-row tin-cups, first just one, then more and more join in that marching rhythm to send one of them to eternal rest.

The Gathering Storm. It comes for you and me. With ample warning. To remind us we need to behave. Think clearly. Speak clearly. Embrace tightly. For there isn’t much time before the clock strikes 12.01. Appointed execution time.

From the viewing chamber, we see ourselves reflected on the partitioning glass. Tears well up. Last chance for last dance. To eventually swing away in fixed three-dimensional universe, to end in a high note.

” Then one by one the stars would all go out
Then you and I would simply fly away”