Fear The Storm; Warn All In Sight

[tun]

A news forecaster is told of storms.
They present the findings each morning,
Highlighting the outliers
And addressing the weather.

A storm is coming–
Not very large, but still to be respected.
The viewers should fear the storm,
So he warns all in sight.

Parents watch the news.
They all fear the storm.
“Stay inside.” “wear a coat.”
The parents tell their children:
Fear the storm and stay prepared,
And warn all those in sight.

The children speak of beasts,
Hidden in the clouds.
Snakes and dragons conjure storms;
Prowling quietly– readying attack.

The teacher hears the children
And interprets demon presence.
She fears the storms so greatly,
She’ll warn the pastor on next sight.

The teacher tells the pastor,
“There’s demons in the clouds.”
The pastor fears the future
But must tell the truth
Exactly as it’s found.

“Prepare for these demons.
Draw crucifixes; Pray to god.
This storm will be the worst
Any have ever seen.
Demons hide within the clouds.
Fear these demons and storms greatly,
Warn all in sight.”

The storm finally comes,
And the whole town’s distraught.
They’ve drawn pitchforks and torches,
And when the day finally came,
It was unremarkable–
Just a few inches of rain.

In this one it cleverly illustrates how fear multiplies as it’s passed through different social roles—forecaster, parents, children, teacher, pastor—each adding distortion until a small storm becomes a cosmic threat. Its strength lies in showing how authority and imagination inflate danger into panic. The anticlimax, a drizzle after so much buildup, exposes the absurdity of mass hysteria and how people’s need to fear can be more destructive than the event itself.