Boom!

The rumbling of thunder
From some bowlers in the sky
Makes me shudder, gape and wonder
Why we tell our kids that lie.

Does it reassure them, thinking
All that noise is just a game?
Or are they aware we’re winking,
Making such a silly claim?

As a child I did envision
Rip Van Winkle getting strikes;
And I pictured the collision –
Pins and ball – each bowler likes.

But I knew that my perception
Didn’t make a lot of sense
And that grown-ups used deception
At their little ones’ expense.

Still, perhaps their best intention
Isn’t really so off-base
If it soothes some apprehension
And puts giggles in its place.

So when thunder starts resounding
I will think just like a tyke
And find comfort that the pounding
Is another bowler’s strike!