And then the big winds camearound midnight, the radio station was tracking their arrival to the city. This just in to the West Side first.
Went walking beforehand, foot after foot, to the knee, deep snow. Deeper-than-dog snow. Dog bounding through snow and disappearing between bounds. I did a fall I call the inverse snow angel. (Video available upon request). falling thick.
And then the big winds did come, rearranging the powder as they saw fit. I saw it until the windows iced over. Then came the flashes of lighting unheard of in a blizzard, light bouncing between snow and low clouds, the whole world crackling purple white.
Woke up on the couch at dawn, the sun had come to breakfast. I was surprised and went back to sleep. The sun stayed anyway. Brilliant day. Sky without a trace of adjectives. I walked to Macy's. The coffee provisions had run out in our orange bunker.
Drank and thought about how the only way to live a desert is stories. Silko, Ortiz, first Australians, Bowden, Jews they all know this. Voices that shape the sand like big winds the snow. Stories that shape the ear. But how to explain that silence? The space after this stanza, the long horizon where words are born.
The stillness of staying home. Stillness rare like snow lightning. Stillness of cars stuck in the street.
And then the snow plow came and it didn't matter much, chaos is still chaos no matter who tries to own it. The City plows the rich neighborhoods first. Of course.
Resurrected my sister's car at sunset with a borrowed snow shovel. More is forecast, and what's here will freeze good tonight. Good to think we can leave when we want. But it's that silence we're after.
• • • L
for alison diciembre 2009
merry haunzakwanzamas & solstice, everybody
• •
Avie is surprised to see the sun come over without calling first.
Buen día.
Orange Bunker.
Snow turns the neighborhood back into forest.
Flag is very white, but tries to be colorful as well.
The space between things.
Always good to have arms for work. I spent an hour moving pounds of snow that won't exist if the sun sticks around. Like all work.