'Blow, winds and crack your cheeks!'

 

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

  Lines Composed In A Wood On A Windy Day
    By Anne Bronte

    My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring
    And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;
    For above and around me the wild wind is roaring,
    Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas.

    The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing,
    The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;
    The dead leaves, beneath them, are merrily dancing,
    The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky.

    I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing
    The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray;
    I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,
    And hear the wild roar of their thunder today!

It's windy again today thanks to Storm Eunice, but I'm not sure my 'spirit is soaring' like Anne Bronte's. Nor am I, like King Lear (Act 3, Scene 3), inviting the storm to do its worst. 

Earlier this week Storm Dudley blew the ridge tiles off our roof, and I'm feeling rather anxious about possible further damage. Anne wanted to experience the storm by the coast, but I think those residents currently living by the sea in South West England would gladly swap the 'lashing ocean' for the poet's West Yorkshire woods. 

Writing prompts:

• Use all your senses to describe the storm that is currently raging. If you're fortunate enough to be somewhere peaceful, describe an imaginary storm.
• We're seeing more extremes of weather. Write down your thoughts about climate change. 
• I may be looking back through 'rose-coloured spectacles', but I remember long, hot summers, and cold, winters with deep snow. Write about what you remember.
• Are you exhilarated by strong winds? Do long, hot sultry days make you feel calm and relaxed? Write about how different kinds of weather affect your mood.
• Have you experienced a storm raging inside your head? Set a timer for six minutes and write about what happened.
  

Share any thoughts below.