They called it a tropical storm, and it forced us
Inside to escape the wind and rain and flying debris that
Came at us straight sideways as they say
Inside to cozy shelter, a long, dark tavern
With an old wooden bar and worn vinyl stools
Lit by candles burning and the occasional flicker of a match
To spark a cigarette of those hiding from the fury
We sat together and laughed at our world suddenly rolling by the window
Was that really a tree? Rolling down the road?
Where does so much water come from, rushing past us like a sudden river?
Thankful for beers still cold and a booth in the back, warm and dark
To hide and be alone for a moment
Or for hours
We spoke about nothing, really, just faced each other and held hands across
The sticky table, and drank without putting our elbows down, laughing
At the thought
When the winds and rains slackened, and the air seemed calm and safe again, we
Ventured out to find our way home, in a world I had never known before, as
The thick darkness was oddly lit by the sudden stare of the moon
Its eye not obscured by clouds, its gaze undiluted by electric lights
We picked our way over fallen pines and strange pieces of life hurled from their resting places
Winding and turning down strange roads, we found our way at last to your door, where
We fell into each other in the dark, no sounds at first, then
A million sounds, the sounds of breathing and the sounds of every living thing in the world
The dark world where light still penetrated, and
As I lay there I realized that
This was the way the world should be, but I knew that
When the lights and sounds made by man returned in a rush,
The world would never be this way again, for
The light of the moon cannot be seen except
In complete darkness
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