Sunday, June 19, 2011

Here's Something Beautiful -- A Found Poem

Well, if I can't make something beautiful (see my last post), I can at least find something beautiful.  Here it is, the Beaufort Wind Scale, in poetic form:

0 - smoke rises vertically
1 - smoke drifts slowly in the direction of the wind
2 - leaves rustle, flags stir, wind is felt on the face
3 - leaves move constantly, light flags unfurl
4 - twigs move, flags flap, dust and loose papers blow about
5 - small trees sway, flags ripple, small waves appear on lakes
6 - large branches move, flags beat, umbrellas turn inside out
7 - whole trees move, flags are extended, it becomes difficult to walk into the wind
8 - twigs break off trees, it becomes very difficult to walk
9 - shingles blown off roofs
10 - trees are uprooted, houses receive much damage
11 - violent storm, widespread damage
12 - devastation

I once read a whole book on this subject, Defining the Wind, reviewed here.  The book didn't capture my imagination the way this presentation of the scale does.  Strange how I can't seem to find this exact rendition anywhere on the Internet.  I hope you like it.

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