Problems with Hurricanes

A campesino looked at the air

And told me:

With hurricanes it’s not the wind or the noise or the water.

I’ll tell you he said: it’s the mangoes, avocados

Green plantains and bananas flying into town like projectiles.

How would your family feel if they had to tell

The generations that you got killed by a flying

Banana.

Death by drowning has honor

If the wind picked you up and slammed you

Against a mountain boulder

This would not carry shame

But to suffer a mango smashing

Your skull or a plantain hitting your

Temple at 70 miles per hour is the ultimate disgrace.

The campesino takes off his hat—

As a sign of respect toward the fury of the wind

And says: Don’t worry about the noise

Don’t worry about the water

Don’t worry about the wind—

If you are going out beware of mangoes

And all such beautiful sweet things.