Ode to Typhoon Ketsana

The azure absence has grayed to a movement,

Matutinal at best with hot chocolate and bread

But penumbral e’en to percolators boiling coffee

For the flood, the power outage, the silent TVs.

You come, stealthily as news on crackling radio,

Vague, vaunted, auto-validated, and the booms

And haze of your clouds’ early night fall on land

Like a cinematic effect for an effortless desuetude.

I embrace your charm as a child opening books,

Mimicking a howl to silence my fear, O teacher

Tough on lessons of modesty, faith, community,

Even forgiveness, gathering everyone to be one

To somnambulant swishes, long hoots, whistles,

And lashes. Like Jesus being prepared for a post-

Storm dis-carpentry, a suffering for a father’s eye,

His blood to mix with earth’s sweat, human sobs.

Each year, one beats us like a heartfelt Holy Mass.