POEM - Dinner in the Time of Tornadoes

When the storm hit
We laughed and ran
Diving into the car
Stack of hot pizzas
To guard against impending doom
A ringing bird
Disturbed our reverie
The panic on the phone line
Was unwarranted
A result of TV ratings
And over cautious school boards
But serendipitous circumstances
Found the entire family home
Hunkering down
Crammed into the laundry room
Playing along with the emergency
As if there was something to worry about
All senses on high alert
Laughing and gasping
As the power blinked twice
The only real tragedy
The internet going down
For all of five minutes

Exiting the storm shelter
Once the real danger passed
The drone of the weather channel
Cycled through the same slow litany
Inciting widespread unconsciousness
As the entire household
Let out a collective sigh
And passed out dead to the world
All excitement forgotten
But still taking its toll
Until the dead arose
Dinner finally got made
The basket of emergency snacks
Still perched on the dryer
Forgotten in the inevitable return
To all consuming mundanity