Shadowland

An unholy roar began to build
That cherry blossom day
Thunder in the air
Then, miraculously, quiet.

A low rumble, a terrible tremor,
A move towards total devastation
Of the air, on that day
When the earth began to shake.

Uncontrollably
All the skies of all the world were scorched with fire
And the air exploded
Fusing flesh with flesh
Into a whiteness
From which the dark shadow of a child
Emerged alone, all alone.