…and it's not me. My grandson, Michael, a senior in high school and headed to Virginia Tech next Fall, wrote the following as part of his advanced english class. I thought it was very good, so decided to publish it here for others to read. It's not about engineers, but it may make you smile…when you get to the end. He plans to eventually become an engineer by the way, after graduation from Tech. Here's his elegy:
Thursday night, middle of the summer;
Terrifying thunderstorm comes rolling into the town.
Preceding the majestic show of electricity,
Are the powerful booms and claps of thunder.
Temperature plummets as the rain begins
Its erratic yet mesmerizing decent to earth.
Torrential downpour quickly over hydrates the arid soil,
Runoff spills into neighboring creeks and streams;
Bursting their banks and flooding fields violently.
Sweeping away everything left in its path,
The floodwaters show mercy upon nothing.
Unprotected possessions are destroyed or carried off;
The unexpected flash flood allowed no one
The time to prepare. Much is lost.
I am among those caught off guard.
Napping in a warm, flower filled field,
I never heard or saw the approaching storm.
A heavy sleeper; not even the rising water
Stood a chance of disrupting my slumber.
Water beginning to slap playfully at my face;
I dozed on oblivious to the world.
Explosion; dam breaking; I was swept away.
Beaten and pummeled suddenly by the water;
I did not know what was happening,
Or even who I was at that point.
Lungs aching for oxygen; I finally surface,
And made my way to dry, safe land.
During my struggle it seemed I lost
Something most dear to my heart.
My mustache has parted with my face;
It is no where to be found.
How this happened is still a mystery,
But I mourn the loss of it everyday.
Secretly hoping it will return to me.
