Unpredictable Weather

There was snow in my yard for three whole days

There were solid sheets of ice on roadways

A polar vortex on the warm southern states descended

And our mild winter seemed to be northward extended..

*

There was a hurricane that caused unprecedented destruction

Not built to withstand heavy winds was our construction

Trees fell in droves, damaging property everywhere

The city was plunged into darkness and despair

*

Across my floorboards new cracks have appeared

From repeated contraction and expansion- I’ve now learnt to fear

The vicissitudes of weather patterns, their unpredictability

And in every corner of the world, our growing vulnerability..

*

Droughts and floods, record-breaking heat, unexpected snow

Unpredictable weather patterns that curveballs throw

Extreme weather events are not just headlines from places far away

They are in our backyards now, can strike anywhere, any day