Who’ll be the first to fish the nails from out the junk
drawer and scavenge the plywood from the garage
to barricade against their own body? My father has
always dug holes when the rain was coming. Now
he’s caught in two storms: a marriage and a hurricane.
Both with no escape. I’ve sent text messages urging
him north as destruction from the Caribbean floods
my Facebook, Irma’s fingers threatening to snatch
away more than just my father. How much frantic
breath has been caught in those swirling clouds?
How many professions of love, of sorrowful
resignation are stripping walls from homes?
Miles away, I feel less like a shelter than I ever
have. There’s not much to be done when we
can’t nest inside the bodies of the ones we
love to shield ourselves from the wind.
READ MORE
Irma leaves widespread devastation in Florida – live updates [CBS]
Don’t forget about us: Irma’s desperate Caribbean survivors [CNN]
David Walker is a husband, father, and teacher. He has work forthcoming in The Tower Journal and Every Pigeon and is the author of three poetry chapbooks. He is also the founding editor for Golden Walkman Magazine.
Image of Earth on September 7th, 2017, rendered using the SOUMI NPP satellite, via Kevin Gill.
