Storm Shelter

Cherry

By Bee

Mon, 28 Apr 2014
  • 2773 reads
15 comments
 

Storm shelter is a six by six box 
where you and your babies will sardine 
one and a half per breast, 
along with a family of four from a trailer, 
who regularly guest with the host, 
your friend and her husband - that makes ten 
in a standing lack of breathing space 
until the storm has past. 

Then there's me across the sea,
looking at a darkening sky of irrelevance, 
wondering when the warning comes, 
if you will make it to your destination 
in the nick of time, and if you'll call 
to let me know.

This is notoriously the toughest week
of the year. So far the latest twist has breezed 
its path of devastation flattening homes 
in it's wake and ripping down power lines. 

A storm is raging in my heart to feel 
so far apart from you. It's raining 
in my brain as I watch you on the screen - 
the baby in your lap looks keenly 
at my image and beams, 

then starts to squirm and squeal. 
It's hard to speak until you casually whip 
out a breast and plug it in. Peace - he gulps 
content as if there'll never be a storm. Piglet
plump and oblivious to harm - you 
are his shelter. I used to be your shelter 
from the storm. But now I'm useless 
at this distance, just praying 
that praying actually works.

Certificate PG
Poem
Love

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

This is your family in America again, Bee? Skype is a wonderful thing, but i don't think it makes the distance and wondering any easier. Your verse tumbles and flows in an intense way rolling the concern and content along with a concentration of consonants, and brings the family and circumstances to life. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks for reading this, Rhiannon. I've just spoken to Amelia again and they are about to leave to pick up some food, then they are going straight to her friends where they'll stay until the danger passes. Apparently this is a bad one. But I feel better knowing they'll be in a proper storm shelter. 

Bee

Submitted by celticman on

vera's writing about breasts, now you bee. Must be something in the milk. Little Piglets don't care. There's an easiness about the storm although it may rage it will pass. Nicely done.

 

Submitted by Bee on

Hi CM.

'It will pass' Comforting words, and true. I wasn't really writing about boobs, but they are hard to avoid in my family at the moment - what with all the 'piglets' we have right now. 

Thanks so much for your comments. And thanks for the cherries - that's so nice.

Bee

Submitted by maisie on

loved it.  very polished.

maisie angel Guess what?  I'm still alive!

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks Maisie, that's really kind.

Bee

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Bee,

Yes, your anxiety came across very vividly, and how difficult it is to communicate via media.

I'm afraid, coming from a state where tornadoes are a part of life, we used to get really excited about watching them. A few of my relatives had bad experience over the years, and they did get really worried about storms after that. When Philip knew we were likely to be in one, he refused to go to the shelter - and spent the time outside taking photos.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Bee on

Hi Jean.

I think I'd be like Phil - wanting to be out taking photos. They don't usually get too worried. If the sirens go off they can go in their downstairs toilet - (their safe room) and wait till the tornado passes, but they advised people to go to proper shelters for this one as it was worse than usual. I'll speak to her later today, but having followed the news, I'm sure they're fine. I'll let you know.

Sorry if I came across as hysterical - it's just the distance is getting to me at the moment.

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

I can only echo, Otto, Bee.  

An emotive write, Bee, and my heart goes out to you and to them.

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

Thanks Tina.

 It's just that time of the year. They are ok, though.

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

I am so pleased about that Bee.  

We have lifelong friends who used to live in New Orleans during the time of Katrina.  They survived, and then moved, having put up with too many tornados, they said.  One member of their family, however, so very sadly, was not so lucky.  

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

Oh, that's so sad. Just after my daughter had her first baby, a girl who lived close by had also just had a baby. She should have stayed in her house but panicked and decided to make a dash for the car to get away, but was killed with her new baby. If she'd stayed indoors she would have been ok because her house wasn't damaged, but she got struck by debre. That's the danger. Living so close and also having a new baby, it really affected my daughter. It was just so sad. Glad your friends are safe. 

I do get really worried, but like Jean said, I think, if you live there you get used to it. And they have their downstairs loo - that's mostly safe, though I wish they had a proper shelter like a lot of the houses do, or a basement. 

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Bee - I know there's no point saying don't worry because you will.  It's the nature of the beast, I guess, when you care about anyone.  But looking at it logically, as you say, they have their loo, and also they have past experience, which counts for so much.

I am so very sorry about your daughter's friend, and baby. Tragic.  In the case of our friends, it was the other end of the spectrum... an elderly aunt who wouldn't abandon her home, having lived there all her life.

Tina 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Bee,

I was so sorry to hear of the devistation your family are going through with the weather...I hope that everything will be okay for them and that they will be able to get back to some kind of normality soon.

By the way...your poem said it all.

Good work.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Bee on

Hi Jenny.

Mine have been lucky not to have been hit, but for some it's been devastating. It's tornado season, so as has been said, they seem to know what they are doing and take it pretty much in their stride. When I posted the poem they were expecting a bad one but it didn't get to them as predicted. It seems to change by the hour. But there's plenty more where that came from. 

Thank you for reading, and for your concern.

Bee x

Bee