LESSONS LEARNED IN THE STORM by Peno Hardesty

or just an afternoon storm it was quite dramatic--sudden--odd thunder--took me deep--back to nicrag-i was thinking i don"t want to die here-i want to die in new orleans-the thunder rolled over head and with it the crashing sound of a tree falling-i don;t want to die here i want to die in new orleans in a seedy little blues bar-nicrag and guns and and--the poor dog jumped on my lap trembling-ok ok after the next lightening strike we run-we run to the old horse and blind pig-i leashed the dog and we stood by the door-lightening hit close-very close and the thunder was on top of us and another tree--we started to run--the poor dog stopped-i stopped-and there we were face to face with a huge oppossun-the one from the front-we were all still--- standing in the driving rain -the oppossum growled-low-loud-the dog and i backed up into the brush and the oppossum ran off---and so did we---the blind pig was sleeping and the old horse was at her hay-both dry and unphased by the storm-i sat in a broken chair and unleased the dog--he shook and settled in some bedding--that is when i heard it-the growl-seems the oppossum had also settled in the bedding-so the dog moved to my feet as the thunder shook me back to the present-
we die where we die---the blues are in my soul and new orleans is in my dna--oppossums growl--and in the end we are all refugees from the storm seeking comfort in the heartbeats of one another

stop the killing
stop the hate
one heartbeat of one creation under one creator
blessings