All conversations suddenly ceased,
a gusty whirl of silence breezed
Hush mingled with the frosty air,
trapping sound like a snare
Shock was etched on everyone's face-
mirth vanished, leaving no trace
All heads were turned, impaled by shock
countenances turned as pale as chalk
Discerning peril, people rose,
sprinting away, on their toes
* * *
The mountain was lofty, impossible high
seeming to tower over the sky
Clouds covered its summit like a shield,
beauty and might, it would wield
A most picturesque view it would create,
beauteous was its placid state
It was the abode of creatures and birds,
the cries of nature could constantly be heard
It formed an illustration of azure and pale green;
white snaked its way into the scene,
as did dots of violet, specks of red-
colors that multiplied, colors that spread
People would arrive to bask in the view,
inhaling the air and the atmosphere blue
Tourists would gape, and point in awe-
at the streams formed when the snow would thaw,
at the slopes speckled with blue tarns,
that knit the mountain's elegance like a yarn
Its peak could not be seen from miles afar-
for it was rumored it rose right up to the stars
* * *
An unforeseen rumble, an unexpected shake,
a cavernous crevice, a sudden break,
an unanticipated, smothering spell of dust-
a massive crack in the earth's crust
An ear-splitting, shattering sound
that seemed to arise from the depths of the ground
that trailed its way up to the sky,
as the mountain caved in with a sigh
It collapsed inwards, lava spilled out,
terrified people dispersed, trying every route
to escape the volcano- dormant for years,
fire surged out from heights so sheer
The sky turned red, the ambience seared,
creatures fled for cover, overwhelmed by fear
At long last, all were safely hidden,
to come out, everyone was strictly forbidden
Sparks flew out, a storm of fire-
adding to the situation deadly and dire
After hours did all motion cease,
after hours did the volcano resemble peace
People and animals emerged- cautious, silent
reluctant to incur the volcano's wrath so violent
* * *
Eyes glazed over, in sheer wonder,
while the sky crackled with roaring thunder
The pale blue of the afternoon sky
had darkened tremendously in the blink of an eye
Lava cascaded down in a perplexing gush,
annihilating the mountain's greenery so lush
From the minds of all- other thoughts were banished,
every topic of significance suddenly vanished
People looked up in reverence at the sight
of the blackened world that had been set alight
by the rushing flames that seemed to pour from the stars,
whose verdant beauty had been charred
Their eyes were hypnotized, entranced
as the sky's shadows revolved and danced
Clouds formed a ring encasing the crest,
by a halo of clouds, the volcano was dressed
The air was thick with inky smoke,
the ground embedded by a glowing cloak
It was now the most perilous in the world,
it would take mere days for its true power to unfurl
Fire ruthlessly traveled through the cracks and veins,
while the now active volcano established its reign
