Monday, December 17, 2007

Spinning....

Telephone Tag. That's how we do it. No Sirens, bullhorns, weather radios. In the pitch black sky the phone rings, too early in the morning to be a late night "I love~love~love you" call, too late in the night to be an early morning wake up call....

Seven minutes....
to pass the word, run barefoot onto the porch and yell for the neighbors..."You up?" "You?" "Yeah" "See ya when it's over".....
to gather three cats and the dog, the birth certificate box (which also holds a toothfairy letter, two shells, a butterfly wing, a zippo lighter with my initials on it, and the titles to cars I don't remember owning....
to wake up my sleeping child, now with child, and in five words or less, convince her to grab her pillow and crawl into the bathroom closet...
to say the quickie prayers...
to try Jonah's phone number one more time, again, and again....
to race back out of the closet and grab my Ruby Red's, construction boots for the afterlife....
to dive back in when I heard the sky fall.....

Three minutes in the rumbling, tumbling, swooshing, dipping, diving, tilt-a-whirl darkness....
and then unfolding,
paper dolls still stuck to the perforated edges,
bending one stretch at a time,
breaking free of the make-shift cellar...

Yup, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Geesh! When Mother Nature talks...it's wise to listen. Here's to concrete block houses, crawl spaces, closet bases & sofa cushions!
ILYSSVM!
~SKinny

Sandy Kessler said...

GReat perception I know firsthand as well

Anonymous said...

That's intense. I don't live with these fears up in the cold north. An occasional tornado scare, but they are rare.
The communal spirit involved in all of this is a wonderful thing though.

singleton said...

skinny....Oh yeah, and praying! ILYSVVM!

Sandy....You were right on that twister corridor, weren't you? Spooky little Sunday mornin'....:)

Wreckless....But you've got the cold....and to us, my friend, that is intense! Brrrrrrrrrgggghhhh!

Peace~love my friends.....
I guess it's officially winter now!

Scott from Oregon said...

Give me an earthquake and a beer anyday...

Lola Starr said...

Oh lord, I hate tornadoes. When I was 6 or 7 I got stuck outside during one. Was at a pool party at one house and ended up running through the woods to another. Twigs in my eye, terrified.....

Much love, sorry I haven't been by lately.

Lola Starr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
savannah said...

damn, sugar...was all that activity near you???? *hugs* hope all is ok!

Spadoman said...

Last week, I drove into the ditch during the first big snow storm. It was daytime, the snow had just started. But it could have been night on that 2-lane county road. In the ditch, there is no way out. Gotta stay til morning. You could bet buried if the snow keeps flyin'. Keep the exhaust pipe clear. Use that candle you have in the trunk with the coffee can instead of the heater to save gas and avoid asphyxiation. Crack the window while you got that candle lit. The plow will find you in the morning.

Meet you in the basement, we'll sit in a circle and talk.

Peace to All

Anonymous said...

Have a blessed and fun holiday!!!

SpongyBones said...

Dang the memories this drags out. Living in KS you can only imagine the times we spent hiding and running around the house while noises of monsters creeped through the walls of the house from the dark swirling clouds. Keeps the heart thumping!

i beati said...

exactamundo

eric1313 said...

It's that time of year.

I hope your holiday will rock, hope the new year will roll, and that the days will open up for you like a twist off cap, a cowboy hat, a canvas in miniature for your wonder to remake.

I'm just thankful to have friends.
Bonus if they're as cool as you are.

singleton said...

Scott.....pass me the beer, but don't move the earth! Ohhhhh, noooooooo........:)

karma....OMG! I can't even imagine....I had to dive for a ditch once in a VW, but that's another story.....It's a wonder you didn't end up in Kansas! And no apologies, I've been the same way, wrapped up in this little cuckoo world right outside my own backdoor! Much love, little one!

Savannah.....Yup! And girl, don't you know I wasn't about to brave it barefooted! :)

Peace~love my friends

singleton said...

spado....Scooch in closer, we'll all meet in the basement.....telling stories and listenin' to the wind blow.....


lizard princess.....To you and yours too, wishing you all a wonderful holiday!

spongy....Honestly I grew up thinkin' the only places tornadoes went were Kansas......I remember when our Dad was going to get transferred there and I was terrified....gimme a hurricane anyday! And now, they just keep poppin' up and boppin' by, leveling their highway.....Weird stuff, these twisters are..... Sorry to deja vue you! We lucked out, the 'canes took down all the trees already, so this one just stacked the BBQ grill, the hammock and all the patio furniture neatly up against the house! Kaboom! :)

ibeati....I know you know girl!

Eric...OK, I'm gonna copy and paste that little wish onto a chinese fortune cookie size piece of paper and throw it in the air at midnight on New Years Eve! That would be a huge Clink! Ya! "Like a twist off cap" ! Missed you!

Peace~love my friends

eric1313 said...

Great.
Big.
Clink!

See you at the butterfly...

Jacob said...

Holy CRAP!, that was good, Sings. "and the titles to cars I don't remember owning," "and grab my Ruby Reds, construction boots for the afterlife."

Holy, Holy, Holy, HOLY CRAP!, that was good. Sheesh, girl. Ya gave me goosebumps.

kj said...

loved reading this. that's all.

:)

Alan said...

Rather you than me Darlin', but I can imagine you taking on anything that comes your way.
Christmas is just around the bend- I wish you a very Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year, and throw prosperous in the the bargin;-)

singleton said...

Eric....
Here's to flutterbys....we'll porch party it soon, Have a Holiday Happy Hour! To Old Times, Good Times, New Times!

Gawpo.....Storms really bring out my sentimental side!:) And remind me I might need to get my Keepsakes straight! Happy Holidays, Sweetie!

KJ....Clink ya back! I've got a lotta catchin' up to do! REally, really, looking forward to two long week-ends.....to read, lounge, color.....Twirl in peace~

Sean....And I wish the same for you, a New Year chock full of peace and the greatest joy from the smallest things....

Peace~love, my friends
May we dance to peace....

eric1313 said...

Clink! Real time!

And you know? I will just bet that there's something good to see over at 'gimmepeace. Think I'll mosey on by and take a looksee....

singleton said...

:) Clink!

eric1313 said...

If you clinked! then blogger ate it.

If not...

Real time!

Princess Pointful said...

Wow... that is a franticness I've never known except for one fire scare...

justacoolcat said...

I don't know what to say. Amazing, as usual; which is weird to read and say.

singleton said...

Eric....I clinked! Over here...No here....There....Here! Roofhoppping!:)

Princess...Oooooooh, fires scare me more than Anything! Oooooooooh.........

Suchacoolcat....Weird is just plain wonderful!

Peace~love my friends

Me said...

Aw, I've always wanted a Zippo lighter with my intials.. and it would be one everyone could use because, as my intials state, it would be O.K ;)

eric1313 said...

Sing

Go by Just Me's blog. she's writing some very important things and you could help.

You know I never advertise for others.

Just thought I'd do the Christmas/neighborly thing. And you are so good with people.

Take care--merry Christmas!--and look for post number 100 before I go to Detroit for the weekend!

Clink! Tink!

eric1313 said...

That was the shortest trip ever. My engine caught on fire! Then I hitch hiked home!

Saturdays...

They are for dancing, and I imagine that's what you are doing.

Missed ya all day, jsyk...

singleton said...

Orhan....I have just that zippo lighter! You get your buns to Florida and we're gonna get it engraved! Peace~love my friend, and happy Holidays!


Eric....This one's hard for me, she is going through so much that I can never imagine....her child. And you know I believe you don't have to let go...except for touch...except of body....and that they're with us always....She is such a wonderful, phenomenal spirit.....stronger than she ever imagines herself to be, but I can't imagine the loss of your child, your baby, your son, your little man, your dreams..... I will go there, I just feel so little, because I truly can't think of words big enough to comfort her, to wrap her in....
except peace and love.....

And oh, no, there was no dancing on Saturday except in the early early hours of the new day... Friday was endless and blessed and full of it! Right before everyone arrived there was a huge meteor shower in the sky, it was incredible, a red and champagne pink and gold slow motion firework show....and I knew we would be blessed....Incredible.....I think I sleep traveled all day Saturday...I'm so so very sorry about your car and the hitchhike back....and I'm wishing your home for the holidays on a wing and a prayer....

peace~love my poetic frient