Ice Storm 2009 Arkansas Missouri Oklahoma - Ice Photos and Poem about Powerless
What happens in an ice storm?
In 2009, a major Ice Storm hit Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and many other surrounding states. Many people were without power for days or even weeks. People suffered property losses—homes, trees, fences. Personally, I was thankful to be able to slide in to work every day (picked up by a four-wheel drive) to get out of my cold house, which was frigid for three days. As I work in a skilled nursing facility, we are always open, but even there, Mother Nature made us wait out nearly 22 hours without electricity.
Those days were cold, dark, and scary. The first night sounded like a warzone or hundreds of fireworks going off at once as trees grew heavy with the ice and cracked and fell. It was dangerous to be outside for days as limbs continued to crack under the pressure and fall.
Those dreary days took their toll on us. People were cold, tired, and frustrated, and took it out on each other. Many of us felt powerless, as powerless as the homes we lived in. All we could do was wait for it to end.
Powerless
Powerless
As the ice fell and the trees cracked,
I held my hands over my ears
And looked around in disbelief
As the tree next to the house split into.
Little Trudy Jane, with her round green eyes
Large on her soft orange face,
Pounced across the patio
and in through the
sliding glass door. I followed.
The fire flickered but gave off little warmth.
The dog lay nearby, curled up in blankets.
Even the cats were slow tonight,
Snuggled all in the same room, soft and still.
The candles burned, hopelessly.
I fanned the fire with an old hand fan.
But the temperature hovered at 40.
It refused to rise.
I pulled my hat down on my ears,
Grabbed another blanket,
Sat down by the animals,
Watching their rising and falling bodies.
I stifled a cry as another branch broke—
And then another.
Fear made me still.
I sank deeper into the quilts.
Powerless.