when my niece and her family

relocated to the midwest

moving

from

flagstaff, arizona

to

toledo, ohio

for two years of graduate school

i was excited

to have them nearby

and

i told them

about

the beauty of the seasons here

and

no drama

no wildfires

no scorpions

no excessive heat

no worries

then

came the polar vortex

and it was so cold

no one could go outside

or navigate

the mountains of snow

and i told them

that this had never happened before

in my living memory

and not to worry

the worst would be over soon

and then

came

lake erie’s

 toxic algae bloom crisis

no one could drink or bathe

or even boil the water

for days on end

and i told them

i’ve never, ever

have

experienced this before

in my entire lifetime

and i told them not to worry

the worst would be over soon

and then

came the 5 inches of rain

in just

a few hours

and the floods

and no one could drive their car on the roads

and basements flooded

and you might

have to kayak

through your neighborhood

to get home

and i will tell them

that this

has not happened here

since 1925

before i was alive

and not to worry

the worst will be over soon

and

i hope they believe me

as we head into autumn

in the beautiful midwest

and

i am

crossing my fingers

that

there will be

no earthquakes

or

volcanic eruptions

or

a series of rogue sheep attacks

and i wonder

if they

are beginning

to doubt my word

———

one person’s disaster is another person’s talking point.
henry rollins

—

image credits: infographicality.com, news net.com, sallyreed.com, nyt.com, acuweather.com, oc115.com, kwana.com