in honor of irene, or: the Really Bad Scene

we did not worry. 

because
we knew to stop, drop, and roll.  to put our
heads between our knees and to never make
eye contact with the bear.  we knew to avoid tall
trees in lightning storms.  and to stand in
doorways, step over logs carefully, and meet at a
designated place.  true:  one should back away slowly.
we understood to keep electronics away from water,
and venom below the heart.  we knew to always walk near the
curb, but not too close to parked cars.
we never spoke to strangers.

listen!:  do not ever kiss a dog on the lips.  

we knew to throw
food out on its expiration date and never to
let our mayonnaise get warm.  we did not
swim when a lifeguard was not on duty, and
always waited an hour after eating before
diving in.  we knew leaves of three leave
them be, and we did.  we knew how to
change a blown tire and to go to the
basement when the winds grew strong.
do not put butter on a burn.  

we knew cpr just in case.  

we had great respect for the danger involved 

in wearing nylon underwear or too-tight jeans.
we never went outside with wet hair or left
lit candles unattended.  do you think we would
smoke in bed? 

we did not smoke in bed.

we sat a proper distance from the television,
always read with adequate light, and did not
listen to music loudly while wearing earbuds.
we drove defensively and wore seatbelts.
we were so prepared. 


and then catastrophe came despite us. 
and ravaged:
or maybe it was just the pulsing of life happening,
and that coral chafing calamitous and vibrant against
the thin skin of the unliving,

the overly cautious.                         and
this surprising, this natural cataclysm

was unpreventable, it turns out.

and it caused us to fail.