Don’t mind the rumble in the ground,
Coming from the old cauldron,
‘Mid heat and sparks all around.
Cautious feelings rise at the sound,
Wondering ‘bout what should be done.
Don’t mind the rumble in the ground.
A science answer is not to be found,
No path shows me where to run,
‘Mid heat and sparks all around.
Uneasy vibrations and whistling sound,
No excuse is here, nor a pardon,
Don’t mind the rumble in the ground.
My companions are all still earthbound,
Very still ‘tho not downtrodden,
‘Mid heat and sparks all around.
My silent spirit is still uncrowned,
It stands erect like a sovereign.
Don’t mind the rumble in the ground,
‘Mid heat and sparks all around.
Francis Conlon is a retired and recovering teacher. For the past 20 years, he has worked as a seasonal river ranger and boat inspector at Yampa River State Park in northwest Colorado. He has published in the local Valley Voice and in Westward Quarterly. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.