Wednesday 30 January 2013

Demons

We were awoken long before dawn by the demon of the heavens.
Jolted out of sleep, I lay quaking, with a a vision of some vast, dark being swarming through the skies directly above me, roaring - racing, chasing, in furious pursuit of I knew not what.
I understood why small creatures quiver under stones and hide in undergrowth.
It is suddenly essential to be invisible in the face of such uncontainable rage.

Is that what it's like on a battlefield?
The barely controllable instinct to turn tail, to burrow in, to be anywhere except in the line of such cataclysmically terrifying sound. Heavy guns, coming out of nowhere.
They say we are born with a fear of loud noises.

Today it was just thunder. The worst I remember.
And the speed with which it rolled away only augmented the unbidden picture in my head, as if the beast had merely trodden on my lair as it sped through the halls of heaven in pursuit of other prey.

Not so for everyone.

As the crossfire took over from the big guns - the breath-stopping staccato of wind-driven hail exploding against the roof - I turned over in my warm, dark nest and snuggled down again - my heart beating faster, but my body and lair unscathed.
I closed my eyes, but other unbidden visions came to mind.
Of ordinary people, just like me, around whom demons roar, but who are not unscathed.
In Syria.
Afghanistan
Mali
The list goes on...



Since posting this I have heard of two houses nearby - one belonging to friends - that were struck by lightning even as I lay shivering in bed. In one, skirting boards, floors and pipes exploded, in the other wiring, electrical equipment and computers were trashed.
Mercifully, no people or animals were harmed.


7 comments:

  1. Hello Lorely:
    We have these same thoughts. The terror of war raging all around whilst one just wishes for the everyday life to go on safely and undisturbed.

    And yes, how lucky we are to be able to shelter from the storm in the safety of a warm and comfortable house. There are so many for whom, this very day,this is not the case.

    What a beautifully written post!

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    1. Thank you, Jane and Lance. Every now and again it really strikes me how much I take for granted in my life.

      Thank you for the compliment, which is much appreciated!

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  2. A wonderful piece of writing Lorely. We do well to remember that we don't have many demons in Ireland although the priest at the funeral of murdered Dt Gda Adrian Donohoe spoke eloquently yesterday of how the gardai are sent out to 'dance a dance with Satan, to come face to face with evil'.

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    1. Thank you Mairead.
      Such an awful thing to have happened in your locality.
      One forgets that our 'Guardians of the Peace' deal perpetually with the worst elements of society in an attempt to shelter us from them. I am so sorry for Dt Gda Donohoe's family. I can only imagine how many people must have attended his funeral.

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  3. Beautiful writing. I cannot imagine the horror of living in the midst of a war zone. I am so thankful that I've never known that fear, but also so saddened to know that while I breath easy there are others who hold their children close and listen to the not-so-distant rumble of gunfire.

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    1. Thank you Jenny.
      No, I can't imagine it either, and I think it's true to say that by and large I never dream that it could possibly happen to me. Every now and again I catch myself and realise how unbelievably lucky I am, in that case.

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  4. To be exposed and helpless to the elements is bad enough without having someone trying to shoot you. As you say, we are very lucky in our warm beds, in our safe homes.

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