Plunged Into Darkness
by Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen — Read all 1,670 poems by Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen
Morenci was plunged
into darkness tonight! Well,
maybe not plunged,
more like eased,
since the power,
quite unexpectedly,
on one of the coolest days
this fall, stopped time here,
around afternoon "rush hour".
Above and Below darkened,
life's sunlight swifting away,
as we watched, anxiously,
nervously, wondering
what had happened...
There was a light rain, granted,
low clouds umbrella-ing the mountains.
But, no crashing of thunder,
no bolts of lightning,
how complacent we were...
computer on, I was reading
a poem, Mariah was reading me
her turkey's "thankulness" tail,
while we were waiting to go pick up
the older child, zzzippp,
just like that,
life's current
was gone...
I knew this was different
from monsoon's quick outage,
there was no reason, no rhyme,
just...silence,
unsettling and alien,
no computer fans,
no tv's white noise,
no heater's hum, no lights.
And when darkness elocuted itself,
no street lights,
just dim glow of candle-fire
in gloomy windows.
The planned Hamburger Soup
turned into grilled burgers,
no buns, chips and canned peaches,
by lantern light.
Silence...except for talking,
laughing and cats meowing,
pissed off at the rain. Strange
feelings passed through me,
my mind felt...ambivalent.
After supper, I took my kids
for a ride in the darkness,
marveling at the lack
of electricity, remarking
on pioneers ability
to be without such,
not really caring for it's
lack, but admiring
it's un-beauty. Strange
landscape, bright lights
of cars, milling
and driving in loss
of normalness. Stunning.
Belittling, even mine's might,
stilled, I sat and watched
at my high point
in a church parking lot,
window open, heater on,
kid's restless, but,
I had to "see" this sight,
10 yrs. coming, the metal
of madness had lost it's luster,
in the fright and worry
of dark's full light.
Strange feelings...
Erin Moen
11/26/02
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
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