042315   042324

Seven year old Ruth’s 
Hurricane Bob
pulled away her bedroom wall 
the bedroom wall was yanked from the house
air four by eight
a hole in the house
where wall had been.
August 1991 Old Coach Lane
the green clapboard house
pine trees and mosquito-rich shaded green grass
flowers and summer warmth 
supporting hot-line for someone in Japan
I politely ended the call
citing the hole in the wall.
Electricity is commonly cabled to a house with a screw
ours was bolted on.
The hurricane and the tree it felled
jerked on the cable 
the cable that seized the wall.
Today recalling Bob with Ruth 
her memory placed herself downstairs 
with her mom who said
Don’t go up there 
the hurricane is only knocking over shovels in the garage.
If Ruth had come upstairs 
parental caution would have warned 
"Don’t step through your bedroom wall."