The Night Before the Hurricane
By Sarah Lounsbury
(Adapted from Clement Clarke Moore’s The Night Before Christmas)
‘Twas the night before the hurricane, When all through the East coast,
Not a person without flashlights, Except those that needed them most.
The candles were lit in anticipation of the event, with smells of pumpkin, such a wonderful scent.
The children were singing “Hooray, Yay ,Hooray”,
“We cannot wait for this hurricane day!”
People with generators, Others with some wine.
All of us ready for a really good time.
When suddenly the wind gave a great big shout.
And that was when, the power went out.
Away to the basement, I went in a rush.
Sought such safety, so trees couldn’t crush.
The moon invisible from the commotion around.
I had never heard such frightful sounds.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But the eye of the storm, as big as I feared.
With a large ghastly look and so very quick,
in that moment, I though I’d be sick.
More rapid than eagles this hurricane came.
And he whistled, and shouted, and targeted all the same.
“Now Running! Now, Hiding, now Riding, Now Leaping!
In Bathrooms! In Basements! In Shelters, No Sleeping!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now run away! Run away! Run away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top yes Sandy he goes,
With wind like steel, destroying everything he blows.
And then, in a heartbeat, I heard on the roof.
The cracking and creaking of each giant poof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down came Sandy with clouds all around.
He was dressed all in threat, from his eye to outer edge,
and his body could knock anybody off a ledge.
A bundle of gusts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a psycho just ready to attack.
His eye—how it scared me! His entrance, how angered!
His cheeks like two cities, his nose, an air hangar!
His eye open wide drawing everything in,
And in that moment, I think, how will we win?
The stump of a tree right through the center,
This is a place I never want to enter;
He had a rough face and a very large belly,
That shook, when he howled like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and fierce, not jolly like an elf,
And I cried when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had a whole lot to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And destructed the house; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his eye upon where I stood,
I knew it was time to run while I could;
He sprang in such strength, his innards gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Sorry about the mess, I was hungry, good-night.”
By Sarah Lounsbury
(Adapted from Clement Clarke Moore’s The Night Before Christmas)
‘Twas the night before the hurricane, When all through the East coast,
Not a person without flashlights, Except those that needed them most.
The candles were lit in anticipation of the event, with smells of pumpkin, such a wonderful scent.
The children were singing “Hooray, Yay ,Hooray”,
“We cannot wait for this hurricane day!”
People with generators, Others with some wine.
All of us ready for a really good time.
When suddenly the wind gave a great big shout.
And that was when, the power went out.
Away to the basement, I went in a rush.
Sought such safety, so trees couldn’t crush.
The moon invisible from the commotion around.
I had never heard such frightful sounds.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But the eye of the storm, as big as I feared.
With a large ghastly look and so very quick,
in that moment, I though I’d be sick.
More rapid than eagles this hurricane came.
And he whistled, and shouted, and targeted all the same.
“Now Running! Now, Hiding, now Riding, Now Leaping!
In Bathrooms! In Basements! In Shelters, No Sleeping!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now run away! Run away! Run away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top yes Sandy he goes,
With wind like steel, destroying everything he blows.
And then, in a heartbeat, I heard on the roof.
The cracking and creaking of each giant poof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down came Sandy with clouds all around.
He was dressed all in threat, from his eye to outer edge,
and his body could knock anybody off a ledge.
A bundle of gusts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a psycho just ready to attack.
His eye—how it scared me! His entrance, how angered!
His cheeks like two cities, his nose, an air hangar!
His eye open wide drawing everything in,
And in that moment, I think, how will we win?
The stump of a tree right through the center,
This is a place I never want to enter;
He had a rough face and a very large belly,
That shook, when he howled like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and fierce, not jolly like an elf,
And I cried when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had a whole lot to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And destructed the house; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his eye upon where I stood,
I knew it was time to run while I could;
He sprang in such strength, his innards gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle,
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Sorry about the mess, I was hungry, good-night.”
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