There once was a gray-haired old lady.
Her name was Miss Irma McGrady.
As sweet as can be
was little old she,
but at bingo she’d act rather shady.
Appreciation Amidst Irma©
After watching Irma terrorize Florida and the Caribbean
This is what appreciation looks like
I appreciate that
I have hydro with which to make my morning coffee
That the roof is still on my home
The car I drive is on four wheels and not on its side
There is a place to jog this morning free of debris
The roads to get to work are safe and passable
My job is waiting for me at its usual place and time
The basement is high and dry
The bus will arrive to take the kids to school
And it is not a wading pool
There is no search and rescue
Nor a curfew
No evidence of a storm
Well rested after a night in bed
No howling winds and banging instead
Hunkered down in the dark would not have been a lark
Thank goodness for the early warning system
The many helping hands
So many agencies to heed the call
Standing up against the wall of flood
Thank you to all the brave souls
Who were out on patrols
We appreciate that which we have
And a speedy recovery for those that have loss
Of any kind
Andreas Simic©
Twinkle, twinkle little star, Wish I may, Wish I might see you in the early morning light. So that I may call to the Lord's first database. Full and bright with every step I take.
Laura Lee and Irma
By Franklin Price
9/15/2017
It's three A.M,. and early morn
I awoke to write this down
Barbara and Laura sleeping;
My wife, and niece from out of town
Laura Lee is visiting
She is my sister's child
We offered her safe haven
With storm Irma going wild
Irma now has left us
And Laura leaves today
She's returning home to Florida
Going back to earn her pay
Danger brought her here to us
We were pleased shelter her
We've had a nice rekindling
I'm sure she would concur
Told tales of many times gone by
Each took a turn or two
Remembering our younger days
And what, for us, is something new
Talked of how we're doing
And of the ones we love
The paths we walked to get us here
And the good lord up above
What we do from day to day
Our aspirations and our dreams
All in all we're very happy
At the least that's the way it seems
She left 'cause Irma roared to town
We're glad that she came here
She knows she's welcome any time
I hope we've made that very clear
Later today, we'll hug farewell
Wave goodbye as she departs
We thank the Lord for sending her
And we'll keep her in our hearts
Hurricane Irma and us
Do not fear my dearest one
I’ll hold you close despite the winds
That blow and rend with its deluge
Ogres captured Mother Nature
And held her hostage with their scheme
I bastioned you against our plight
An inundation with a flood
Large trees are ripped off from their roots
The ogres blew the roofs off tops
The window shutters shook aloud
The winds have stilled and we are safe
The hurricane has ceased to be
A calmness greets us with it’s peace
Your’e better now without the strife
I must get back to see my wife
Hurricane Contest
Sponsored by Julie Rodeheaver
September 10, 2017
*We have actually been ravaged by hurricane Irma
and we were homebound for 30 hours
wth minimal damage and I wrote two poems near a Coleman lamp.
I used poetic license with the wife (ha ha)
The Last of Irma
By Franklin Price
9/12/2017 – 7:48AM
The last of Irma's passing by
Her wind's outside our door
Some rain is in accompaniment
The two of them and nothing more
There is no chance of tidal surge
To make the waters rise
Irma has no ocean near
To bring flooding to our eyes
Her wind and rain are minimal
As she passes mountain peaks
She visited Florida's Disney World
Now Disney Land is what she seeks
If you think my thoughts are foolish
There's no way she'll get that far
I don't think that you can count her out
She's been a record making star
Devastated many Islands
Many States were damaged too
If you're south and east of Kansas City
She most likely came to you
Be careful what you wish for
Don't wish hurt on anyone
You may get another Irma
She was anything but fun
Irma - The end for me
I Thought Irma Was Over
By Franklin Price
9/11/2017 – 5:26 PM
I thought Irma was over
When she turned right at the coast
To cross the width of Florida
With an eye I thought was toast
She made it although wounded
Winds out four hundred miles
She kicked the ass of Jacksonville
And took away their smiles
She left and headed northward
Pounding Georgia's coast and Isles
The Okefenokee swamp
Had hunkered down it's crocodiles
She then kept on to Charleston
Water surged in streets and ways
I'll not think she's gone again
Looks like thinking never pays
It would not surprise me
If she headed out to sea
And got her wits about her
And came back after me
I'd hunker down in Asheville
A very sheltered blue ridge town
I'm sure the mountains would not stop her
She'd scream right in and blow them down
I'm hoping she won't read this
And decide to come my way
I would much appreciate it
If she went to sea today
Headed to where the water's cold
To take away her fuel
Looks like that's the only way
She will die and end this duel
Irma Pulled a Fast One
By Franklin Price
9/11/2017 – 6:07AM
Irma pulled a fast one
Just before I closed my eyes
Took a right turn to the East
To sooner see the sun arise
Was supposed to go to Tampa
Get a cigar there to chew
Now she's wrecking Jacksonville
Her new direction's nothing new
Was not supposed to go there
Was to head for Alabam
Once again surprised predictors
Jacksonville now gets the slam
Passed Daytona Beach's race track
A responders' prepping pad
On the way out of the state
Had to see just what they had
Her blurry eye was very close
Winds blew and rains came down
She made their jobs more daunting
As she headed out of town
In Jacksonville a record surge.
In the Saint John's river way
Irma was not done with us
That's her record for today
Has affected all of Florida
Six million without power
Trees knocking down transmission lines
A new record every hour
She's still exceeding records
Wind speed. over time was set
It was a new world record
One of many she would get
She is still not through with us
On this day the towers fell
She, as nature's terrorist
Still makes our lives a living hell
warm tropic waters
ignite crazed wantonness in
a mistress that strays . . .
pray you are not in the way
of this nasty home wrecker
Sept. 10, 2017
For the Hurricanes Poetry Contest of Julie Rodeheaver
IRMA PEERS
darkening of glass
the hurricane cups its hands
followed by pounding
9/10/2017
Irma and Florida
By Franklin Price
9/10/2017 - 10:07 AM
We're watching several channels
To determine what's for real
Reporters on the outside,
In the wind and rain's ideal
The place now is Miami
Presentation there's the best
Storm surge rising in the streets
Wind and rain are reaching crest
Palm trees show the blowing winds
Waves rock and roll the boats
Around low lying castle homes
Are quickly rising moats
Thousands have lost their power
Many trees are blowing down
The outer bands of Irma
Have come to South Beach town
11:19 AM
Irma won down in the Keys
Has hurricane flags unfurled
The newsmen are reporting
That she's off to Disney World
12:01PM
News flash, Irma's heading for
The greater Tampa Bay
Will keep her eye just off the coast
doing damage all the way
Forgot to pick up cigars
In Cuba 'fore the cay
May pick up some in Ebor
When tomorrow is today
It's reported in Miami
The wind's a hundred miles an hour
Two bikers riding on the street
Pushed by the blowing power
The reporter spies them as they ride
Says how stupid they must be
It astounds me why they're riding
Should be inside, not like me.
5
Irma Sunday Morning
By Franklin Price
9/10/2017
It's a beautiful Sunday morning
In this North Carolina place
Watching Irma on the TV
As She's continuing her race
Our niece from Florida's with us
Wise to evacuate
Arrived here just two days ago
Today would be too late
Our daughter's here on Face time
With her daughter and her spouse
The effects of Irma's not yet there
At her central Florida house
Irma, the one eyed cyclops,
Is watching Key West town
While she's huffing and she's puffing
To blow some buildings down
She's searching for the foolish
Who have stayed and hunkered down
I'm praying she won't find you
She's a demon, not a clown
She soon will leave this tourist key
Not there just standing by
If you're any place in Florida
I pray you'll not see her eye
Supposed to hug the west coast
Looking for a place to go
Around her eye are winds and rain
Larger than Florida you know
Don't go out and look around
As she further ventures forth
We don't know she won't wobble
As she continues heading north
Don't be dumb sand foolish
Hunker down and you won't see
Your body getting blown around
Like dumb reporters on TV
Though surely safe and sound here where I live,
I feel the threat in that hysteria
seen on the faces of those in her way.
Chaotic, stressful planning: do they flee
or stay; confront this monster on her path?
Long lines for water, gas, supplies, and food,
soon broaden that kaleidoscope of fear
preparing for their grave apocalypse.
Perpetual decision-making stabs
their hearts to yield to plans not knowing where
this wicked, swirling beast will steer its eye.
Cacophony of wind, the roaring sea,
and horrid scenes she's left on her past track,
have spiraled fears as many leave their homes—
a trade for life—to start again, rebuild.
I feel their pain, their hollow emptiness.
Dear God, I pray, please spare them in their plight.
Irma – A Review to Date
By Franklin Price
9/9/2017
She started off of Africa
The place where she would form
The waters there compatible
For the Atlantic, more than warm
She would travel westward
Getting stronger as she went
God knew all about her
From the devil she was sent
chorus
Th ocean fed the hurricane
Irma became her name
Winds went to 185
She no longer was a game
That wind speed set a record
The highest for the longest days
A score and fifteen days to last
A dangerous and crazy phase
chorus
The islands didn't slow her down
At least not from the first
She leveled there most everything
She was the very worst
Eventually she decreased speed
From a five down to a four
She's now down pounding Cuba
As she knocks on Florida's door
Chorus
Chorus
The weather men were quite confused
Did not know where she'd go
Maybe they should ask the Lord
I'm sure that he would know
hurricane irma
huff and puff, blow your house down
mean beatitude
on a southern latitude
Floridian voodoo doll
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