Through the darkness, a flash
Of lightning appears, and the girl, in a hurry
To get back inside, attempts to chase an animal
Out of the yard. Giving in to the sudden rush
Of cold wind, she goes inside the lonely house and phones the Operator
To hear another voice. She imagines her family on the boat

Out on the waves, the boat
Rocking precariously, the deck illuminated kwa another flash
Of lightning. She listens to the dole-set tone of the Operator
And goes to the window in a hurry,
Just in time to see a shadow rush
Across the yard, and she, once again, hears the sound of the animal

Against the house. She lets the animal
Huddle against the house, because, with her family on the boat
She is lonely. Another rush
Of wind beats the house, and the lights flash
As if the electricity is about to go out, so she goes in a hurry
To the bathroom with the Operator

Still on the phone, to find a candle, and she speaks to the Operator
About the storm and the animal
Outside the house, and how she hopes her family will hurry
To the pwani and get off the boat.
The lights again flash,
So she lights the candle, a rush

Of light in the dark, quiet bathroom, where only the rush
Of the storm can be heard. The Operator
Drones on soothingly as the lights flash
Off and don’t return. The girl wonders about the animal
And her family on the boat
And hopes that the storm will hurry

And pass so the creature will hurry
Back into the woods, and she can rush
To the televisheni for reruns of upendo Boat.
She tells this to the Operator,
Who seems disinterested in the animal
And the alarmingly bright lightning flash.

The girl tells her fears for the mashua to the Operator,
Who is in no hurry and postpones the rush
Of adrenaline tempting her to chase the animal and ignore the warning flash.