What the Lightning Forgets

Streaking across the sky, the lightning caught glimpses of the ship. The vessel tossed between chaotic waves, strident shrieks of creaking wood forcing their way through the sailing persons’ ears, eyes augmented in terror, and mouths stretched in screams unable to be heard amidst the storm.

But all noise amounted to silence as the lightning broke the sound barrier.

All was quiet in its realm.

All is still in the eye of the storm.

So the lightning passed with negligence the forsaken ship like it had every other before. After all, even if it desired to assist the damned, would they thank the lightning for its help? No. The lightning knew it could do nothing to appease the human’s pathetic need for safety.

That was something that had always puzzled the lightning. Why would humans seek stability when the expungement of risk only ever gives way to discontentment? Why desire a soothing response when, often, a candid critique accomplishes so much more? The humans pretend to be united, at least most do, but they are born bigots, and can only ever live as such. Fighting their useless wars for no reason barring a misplaced patriotism.

The lightning, certainly, knew none of these flaws, for it struck where it was commanded to strike, and it cared about no one, so it could hold no partisan. It knew its place in the sky, but never tried to control where it went. It knew its purpose, but thought nothing of its individual existence apart from a piece of the horizon.

The lightning’s ways were obviously superior to the humans’. Humans can say one thing, and then go and forget their words the very next moment. The lightning is constant, and will always be, even when humans were no more.

What was that saying that the lightning had seen on big signs when it had passed by the humanities’ great cities? ‘Live your truth’. How can one own the truth? Is not the truth permanent, and to be treated as such? Humans, always with their arrogant undertones. The lightning would never understand it, and the lightning maintained that the humans never truly did either.

Streaking across the sky, the lightning caught glimpses of the world. Humans were nothing from that height, and would never mean anything to the lightning. How could they, being the twisted creatures they are?

But what the lightning forgets is who watches from above, and directs the lightning, while sacrificing everything for the humans, His prized, and beloved creation.

Written by: Hannah Lutz