VOLUME EIGHT
ICE STORM 1998
a storm without violence;
storm of silent methodical dead calm persistence...
under dense gray skies
windless whispers of rain enter snow and silently add crystal shields to already overburdened branches
soundtrack from a Civil War battlefield "sharp rifle" like reports every 35 seconds, hour after hour, as victims fail and fall, swishing their way toward snag or snow
pines stand at attention, arms at their sides, wooden soldiers waiting to fall or lean or break
maples suffer shell shock, limbs lost, numb in disbelief
supple birches bend and hide ice laden heads
aspen stand naked, startled, wondering where their branches are.
or why they're fallen down
topless isn't so seductive on a tamarack
gallant old cherries give up limb after limb
a solitary white pine drops arms, carefully avoiding the birdfeeders
spruce and balsam curl their tops and wait
unharmed apple, accuStormed to the weight of fruit, bears the ice with grace
new routines in the almost silent house
soft sounds of woodfire in the stove
using daylight, candlelight, flashlight
hauling water from the spring
carrying wood
enjoying the here, now, the teamwork, the present focus of the days
neighbors stop by, appearing with chainsaws to clear the driveway,
we walk to share with neighbors, to admire the splendors of subzero moonlit ice, to brainstorm solutions for power - dependent houses on our road
we thank the crews who clear the wires, set new poles; they are surprised we care; we're glad we live where people care
digging out the pumphouse
trying to find familiar places in the jackstraw tumble of the pines
well-worn trails quite lost; sunless days disorient, confuse
up on the roof time after time, removing rainheavy snow, new snow
antenna bows to its audience of two, never recovers, awaits evacuation where it had hoped for rescue
melting finally
tissue paper rustle of ice falling from pines into soft snow
rising birch and aspen lifting iceladen tips
fallen pines settling
broken maples budding nonetheless
hauling broken branches to the road
watching spring
after the ice storm
Barbara K. Waters - Onchiota
Town of Franklin
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