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a nervousness in the air
a nervousness in me

everyone is really cool
many of us are out
on the sidewalk
introducing ourselves
have long
conversations
forming a solidarity

“you can have some beer
if you want…”

another guy
with a psychology degree
says this is pact
mentality
that in danger
we group
together like this

“we are going to
throw a party in this
courtyard once it’s
all over”

then he says
“if I die, I wanna die
in my own home
not out on the highway”

today is spent
gathering things up to
the top floor
such as books
then the TV will go
at the last minute

we’re hoping for
zero power outages
for obvious reasons
and no flooding

the winds are here
you know, about
15 mph so far
took a few pics
out on the street
the trees blowing about
(will announce later
when these are up on Flickr)

people are
being very friendly
it’s a waiting game
these large groups
it’s like there are
waves in the conversation
you’ll be talking to one
person on one subject
and the next you’re talking
to someone over on the other side
then someone will join in

much talk about our pets
that is, cats

yesterday evening
drove up
put the car in the parking garage
and skated back

Houston
is now a ghost town
all the shops closed up
signs in them
“closed. hurricane. keep praying.”

people say they’re praying for us
advise that we pray
I haven’t prayed in sometime
don’t know if I ever will again
don’t see it does any good

I’m sure there was much praying
going on in New Orleans
yet they saw the worst of the worst
regardless
so when it doesn’t come folks
say prayers are answered
when it does
oh, well this is God’s plan
or test
way of seeing how
strong we are or whatever

I’m a different
man
over the years
I’ve come to see praying
as wasted energy

this is not to say
positive thinking
doesn’t help one through…

. . .

if you find yourself in a storm zone: don’t clip your fingernails. keep these long. you will need them in emergency situations. have you ever been put on the spot where you couldn’t peel an orange and you had to pass it onto a long nailed friend? how embarrassing. come on, be hurricane ready! results from various studies are in: those with longer nails wind up getting all the gasoline, before all those with nubby nub nubs, unable to fend for themselves, must retreat, but find they cannot.