by Julia Griffin

“Massive lightning bolt from Texas to Missouri breaks record for world’s longest flash
The 515-mile bolt occurred during a 2017 storm and was discovered during a review of satellite data”
—The Dallas Morning News

In 2017, a bolt of lightning
Burst over three full states’ expanse of skies.
Then it was voted bothersome and fright’ning,
But eight years on, we’re giving it a prize.
(It took one second till the flash was past,
But we, though also bright, aren’t quite so fast.)