Hurricane Irene
swept through my home
state leaving many at the
mercy of the darkness.
In the days that followed,
without power, there was
a calm that came without
the noises electricity
makes around the house.
People took to the streets,
And I saw kids outside, teen-
agers too hanging around
friends and family talking
face to face in the open air.
Families walked together,
flashlights bobbing a stream
of light against the street. One
night, I drove by a laughing
family, in their front yard, talk-
ing to neighbors as the sun set
painted the sky. I went to sleep
as the sky darkened,
without a care for time.
There was something peaceful
about it all. I really like this, I
admitted to myself. Days later,
the electricity came back on.
Shouts & cheers were heard around
the streets. Someone set off fireworks.
And then all was quiet.
I went for a walk later that night
and thought about the closed
doors of the homes I passed.
The streets were once again lonely.
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