The Clouds Burst

Crowds do gather in the streets And shout with triumph and glee Through years of darkness they have stood; The sun comes, and his rays of light. Yet even joy and happiness Can be just the simple calm Before a storm that has no end And leaves no hope, no hope at all. Blood and ash adorn the earth With sorrows, tragedy, and despair; Do the good men just sit and ponder This war, coming from evil’s mind? Where are the trees and fields of corn? Where are the birds that sing great songs? And what is the sea, a pool of ash, That demons inhabit and infest with lies? What can cause this great evil? Could it be the atoms splitting? Is this the end, the awaited time, Where we take wing and fly away? A holy light pierces darkness And ash clears at a single word: “Begone!” A figure, clothed in white Spoke that word, and evil fled. Golden trumpets sound at once; The King, our Lord, has come again! In a flash we all appear Before the throne of the Most High. One looks back, and sees a flash: The earth and sun in fire dying. Yet what was the world, for Heaven’s light Does beckon, and our hearts are glad. The Evil One, the Liar and Deceiver Finally gets what he deserves He first is cast into the Lake of Fire The demons follow with shouts of pain. Has it been a million years? We cannot tell; we are outside time. An eternity we spend in joy At the feet of God, and those of his son.