Kelly the 'Cane

Hurricane Irene seems destined to do a dance with New England and her presence forces me to remember a childhood nickname that may not have died with my youth.  My dad began referring to me as "Hurricane Kelly" when I was about 2 or 3.  Apparently, I left a "path of destruction" in my wake, wreaking havoc around the house but at least making it easy for my parents to see where I'd been. Unfortunately (or fortunately) Kelly doesn't appear on the official list of past or future hurricane names so we're in the clear there.  For now, let's cross our fingers that Irene does less damage than I did in the past 31 years.

      
      Falling
      W.S. Merwin

      Long before daybreak
      none of the birds yet awake
      rain comes down with the sound
      of a huge wind rushing
      through the valley trees
      it comes down around us
      all at the same time
      and beyond it there is nothing
      it falls without hearing itself
      without knowing
      there is anyone here
      without seeing where it is
      or where it is going
      like a moment of great
      happiness of our own
      that we cannot remember
      coasting with the lights off