End of October Hurricane

The moon was full and the house cast a strong shadow to the north. The light was sufficient enough that I could see out of my second story window a nocturnal creature discovering the apple core I had earlier discarded and the bread crumbs I had tossed from the heel of a bread going stale.

But in the East—for me the far East but really only the East Coast of the United States, it was a dark and stormy night. Hurricane Sandy (which the New York Times reported had made landfall at about 8:00 pm) had arrived causing flooding, power loss and considerable damage to the infrastructure of the cities and towns. And I found myself obsessed with the progress of the storm throughout the day yesterday and into the evening, and when I awakened early this morning I immediately checked the status of the storm. Perhaps I was fascinated at the destructive power of nature even as children are appalled by and attracted to the things that go bump in the night. The storm also pulled the presidential campaign off of the front pages and it was certainly a relief not to have to read anymore about the polls and the politicians.

The first year I moved to the Mid-West a Halloween storm left a foot or so of snow on the ground and it did not disappear until the following April. I have grown used to storms here, and I think I am surprised by the ferocity of the Hurricane on the East Coast that in my mind remains . . . well, too sophisticated and proper for such disarray. Such phenomena humble me as I think Thoreau might have been chastened at the top of Ktadn. Certain the wildness of Nature sent him back relievedly to civilization. I lived in New York for almost forty years and recall only two aberrant storms: one an actual hurricane sometime when I was in school, though I can’t remember the exact moment. I am certain I felt no real fear or concern, but then, maybe I was only a child. And I have an image in my mind of myself digging out my driveway from too many inches of snow, but again, the exact year eludes me. I am certain, however, that I was not at the time  pleased or well-paid. I was, then too, only a child.

Though last night was not one of them, I have grown used to dark and stormy nights here but I prefer the full moon.