An Ode on Future Storms

If Alberto avoids us
If Beryl doesn’t break us
If Chris doesn’t crush us
If Debby doesn’t drown us
If Ernesto doesn’t exile us
If Florence doesn’t flood us
If Gordon doesn’t gank us
If Helene doesn’t hammer us
If Isaac doesn’t ice us
If Joyce jogs away at the eleventh hour
If Kirk doesn’t kill us
If Leslie doesn’t level us
If Michael doesn’t maul us
If Nadine doesn’t nail us
If Oscar doesn’t overwhelm us
If Patty doesn’t pound us
If Rafael doesn’t ruin us
If Sandy doesn’t swamp us
If Tony doesn’t topple us
If Valerie veers away from us
If William doesn’t wallop us…

Then maybe we’ll live to masque another Mardi Gras.