Rivers Rising

Flood waters rising all over the East, upstate NY, DC, Pennsylvania, Virginia...people being evacuated. Scary to see interstates under water and read about people being swept away in flash floods. One parent came in to work today and said to me "forty days and forty nights," shaking his head. So far here on L.I., some flooding and trees down, electricity out in places, but nothing too bad. Saw Mayor Bloomberg talking about evacuation plans for NYC, assuring audience that "people are not going to die here" in a pointed reference to New Orleans. My kids are away with their grandparents in North Carolina. Suddenly wish they were here.

The Flood
by Robert Frost

Blood has been harder to dam back than water.
Just when we think we have it impounded safe
Behind new barrier walls (and let it chafe!),
It breaks away in some new kind of slaughter.
We choose to say it is let loose by the devil;
But power of blood itself releases blood.
It goes by might of being such a flood
Held high at so unnatural a level.
It will have outlet, brave and not so brave.
weapons of war and implements of peace
Are but the points at which it finds release.
And now it is once more the tidal wave
That when it has swept by leaves summits stained.
Oh, blood will out. It cannot be contained.