How's the weather treating you today?

[Rev. Rye]

On the 16th day of May of 2025,
There struck the worst of dust storms that ever filled the sky.
You could see that dust storm comin', the cloud looked deathlike black,
And through our mighty nation, it left a dreadful track.

The radio reported, we listened with alarm,
The wild and windy actions of this great mysterious storm;
From El Paso and St. Louis, and all of Chicago,
They said it was the blackest that ever they had saw.

The storm took place at sundown, it lasted through the night,
When we looked out next morning, we saw a terrible sight.
We saw outside our window where wheat fields they had grown
Was now a rippling ocean of dust the wind had blown.

Okay, it's not quite as dire, but it's still shocking to wrap my head around there being a full-blown Dust Bowl in 2025 Chicago. That's the sort of shit I'd have relegated to Woody Guthrie songs (including "The Great Dust Storm," the one I lovingly ripped off above) and Steinbeck novels.