What Floridians might do after a hurricane

Ice cream melts. Birds' nests burn, and windows yield to shattering forces (such as trees containing the nests). Cars move sideways down murky flooded streets. The sun emerges from curtains of rain swept violently out of sight. We dance in rocky road puddles in the kitchen,staining our feet with chocolaty goop. We patch our roofs with charred twigs and invite the birds inside. We brush glass from the sill and hang ornaments on the tree's crown jutting into the living room. We wade through the carnage with some new things to share.