Not Ranked
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHARLEY, FRANCIS, JEANNE, or IVAN
Twas the night before Charley, when all through the state not a gas pump was pumping, not a store open late
All the plywood was hung, on the windows with care knowing that a hurricane, soon would be there
The children were ready, with flashlights in hand while bands from the hurricane, covered over the land
And mamma with her Mag-Lite, and I in my cap had just filled the bath tub, for flushing our #@*#
When out on the lawn, there arose such a clatter I sprang from the closet, to see what was the matter
The trees on the fence, and the neighbor’s roof torn gave the fear of us dying, in this terrible storm
With a little wind gust, so lively and quick I remembered quite clearly, our walls weren’t brick
More rapid than eagles, her courses they came and she whistled, and wafted, and surged all the same
Off shingles! Off sidings! Off rooftops! Off power! Down trees! Down fences! Down trailers! Down towers!
In the center of Florida, she continued to maul screaming blow away! Blow away! Blow away all!
As wind ripped and tossed, the debris through the sky I peeked out the shutters, at cars floating by
So go to the safe-room, my family did do with a portable radio, and batteries too
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the set the end was not coming, for a few hours yet!
As I calmed down the kids, and was turning around through the window it came, with a huge crashing sound
A tree branch it was, all covered in soot the wind blew it smack-dab, on top of my foot
A bundle of twigs now lay in a stack and my living room looks, like it was under attack
The wind-how it howled! The storm-very scary! Myself and the family, where all too unwary
The dangers of hurricanes, are serious you know they are taken for granted, as Charley did show
With the winds dying down, and the dander has passed I noticed my tool shed, was almost trashed
So I grabbed my last tarp, and nailed it on down then I got in my car, and I headed to town
The traffic was awful, and stores had no ice my five gallon cooler, would have to suffice
Generators were scarce, not one left in town there were trees on the roads, and power lines down
FEMA was ready, with people to work Electrical companies, came in from New York
And in the mist of, this peculiar routine another storm emerged, named Hurricane Jeanne
I sprang to the car, and gave my family a whistle then away we all went, like a Tomahawk missile
You could hear us exclaim, as we drove out of sight the heck with this place, Vermont seems just right!
|