the storms decreed illegal
in the rain, the razz of lasers
we hear the whump of cannon
aimed at the heart of thunder

the fizz of the space lasers
space lasers in the rain
in the gloom, the red and orange
the thump of the generators,
the thunder of the lasers

lightning in return
lightning back to reach the skies
we've invented lightning of our own
to kill the storm
not very sportsmanlike
ingracious ingratitude

lightning shocked pools of goo, billions of years ago, and we emerged
with lightning still running through our nerves, betraying our heritage
our lasers shocked the skies, and the rueful storm could not stop
the things our lasers set evolving there

the things our lasers kindled there
the mystery of the salient races
the mystery of the sapient races
this mystery of lightning sapiens

100 years of stormless skies
then enraged the "apes" descend
the sky's ideas of apes
spidery things with killing appendages
here to cleanse the earth
here to flense the earth

run! run! from lightning's revenge!