Blinking in the freshening
gale, he stood firm: no damnfool
storm was going to chase him
away. The wife and kids could go,
he was staying. Been through these
things, before: he and house came
out alright. His home, all he
knew: born here, raised here, it was
there when he went off to war, it
greeted him on his return, he got
married on the front porch,
for Pete's --- spent most of his life
here. He wasn't going nowhere.
He lifted his drink and roared at the
hurricane: just try and git me, ya
bastard. The hurricane answered:
been five years and they haven't
found his body. Still among the
missing, presumed dead ...
(c) 2007, Revised, 2010, Karla Dorman (8/26)
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Reviews of "Five Years Later (Originally Titled, Two Years Later)"
A tragic story Karla. When the final push comes to shove the time has arrived, when nature will always be victorious. You have to admire his bravado. However that was one time when victory meant backing away from the confrontation. May peace love and joy be always with you my dear friend. Jon Michael
We have our share of natural disasters in Oz, but thankfully hurricanes are not one of them. Mother Nature is not the lady to tempt, She might let you off once or twice, but sooner or later you will succumb to Her embrace, as evidenced in this tragic piece.
My best regards,
David
Can't say I've ever rode out a "real" storm, but I have stayed to "ride out" other kinds of catastrophes, complete with shaking fists and verbal dares. Luckily I survived, body more or less intact. An excellent piece, full of the drama of any last stand. Rebecca
Guess I can relate to the guy as I would hold my ground too. Did it during Gloria and my front porch washed into the sound and out to sea. What a great piece...
Such a shame: if he had gone to shelter, heeded the warnings, he might still be around ... may we NEVER forget the catastrophic damage that Katrina showed the residents of New Orleans, Louisiana (and the rest of the Gulf Coast states, for that matter) ... Heartbreaking realities once again in view as we anticipate the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina! Powerfully penned, Karla; well done!
(((HUGS))) and much love, your twin, Karen Lynn. :(
I've done that too, sort of, when storms washed ashore in Sea Isle City, NJ...but never seemed to be big enough, YET, to wash me away...sorry for his family, but it was afterall his own fault...like it would be mine...Ed
A book of nature inspired poems and essays, written from the heart and soul of a life-long nature, animal, and wilderness lover, and dedicated to today’s children - Earth's only hope for a better tomorrow.
This book won 'The Poetry Category'
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My best regards,
David
peace, Carole~
Cheers,
Dan
Be always safe,
Karen
(((HUGS))) and much love, your twin, Karen Lynn. :(