PDS (Part one)

Diagram showing ingredients needed for severe weather. The red arrow shows the position of the low level jet stream, while the blue arrow shows the location of the upper level jet stream (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PDS  –  (particularly dangerous situation) 

(Part 1)

Dennis studied the weather patterns on his laptop.  A cool fast jet stream was projected to loop across the middle of the country and warm moist air was rushing up from the Gulf.  The cool air and warm front were on a collision course.  Conditions were ripe for an outbreak of severe weather, which included heavy rains, hail, and tornados. This was not what he was hoping for.

This set of conditions could be dangerous for a storm chaser and most chasers chose to have highly defined parameters.  Dennis was single and lived life more precariously.  Some of the other storm chasers secretly claimed he had a death wish.

Although Dennis dared pushing close to super cells, hoping to see a tornado touch down, he always had escape plans should something go wrong.  This time, with conditions ripe for multiple powerful super cells, he was a little uneasy.  He did not want to get trapped between storms with no place to run or seek shelter.

He checked the updates and projections.  He noted that several meteorologists were labeling the potential storms as a PDS, a particularly dangerous situation.  This alert didn’t frighten him but it did make him consider some of his options. Tomorrow, after he’d studied the models one more time, he’d finalize his plans.  Tonight, though, he’d be a cool wind blowing about town.  He would relax and have some fun.  He headed to a local bar where there were friends to drink with and if he was lucky, a woman who would find him fascinating.

While Dennis was on his way, a stranger, Marilyn, was sipping rum and colas.  She was alone at a table, rejecting all offers for company.  She was up from the Gulf coast, getting away from her house, getting away from Travis, her ex.  He had been stalking her for the last three months, ever since she had kicked him out of her house and life.

She didn’t need another man, one who would take advantage of her soft heart. She was thinking over the last three years and realizing what a fool she’d been, letting Travis make inroads and letting him take over her apartment and life.

For two years they had been together but finally she’d had enough.  She couldn’t put up with any more abuse or his lying, deceitful ways.  He’d never be faithful or treat her with respect.  She’d given him numerous chances but the results were always the same.  He’d disappear for a few days and then return, act sorry, beg for another chance, and shower her with cheap gifts.  But after a few days of staying around the house he would find some excuse for an argument, threaten her, and then leave.

She wanted one man, one who was faithful and wanted a lasting relationship.  She knew Travis could not be that man, so she told him to get out.  If she couldn’t find a man that could be honest and true, she would do without.  At least that was the plan.

Marilyn realized that Travis might snap when she broke up with him.  Travis was mentally fragile and she had always considered his state of mind.  She had always been afraid of what he might do if things didn’t go his way.  With or without alcohol or drugs he had violent tendencies.  His past was littered with people who had been hurt or killed, but nothing was ever proven in court.

Travis had other quirks she didn’t like. He didn’t share the rent or help in any way, and yet he acted as if she was his slave.  She was beyond the point of caring for Travis.  She wanted a new life and a new love.  The only way she thought she could escape from Travis was to run and take a new identity.

Marilyn had accidentally discovered this bar earlier while looking for an apartment.  It was close to the main part of town and she felt safe. In the afternoon the bar was quiet and had only two or three patrons. It was just what she was looking for while getting her bearings.  She had not considered how quickly things could change. She was like the warm front that had entered a PDS zone.

In the meantime Travis was brooding about his own circumstances. Marilyn had forced him out without any valid reasons. They weren’t married or anything.  She didn’t have the right to tell him who his friends were or who he could sleep with. He belonged there.  Although he didn’t pay any rent or expenses, according to his way of thinking he must have some rights.

When he had showed up at the apartment at 3 a.m. and demanded she let him in, she had promptly called the police.  He pounded on the door but was gone before the police arrived but he knew she would be in tears telling her story.  “He’s lost it! He said he would kill me if I didn’t cooperate!”

Travis knew that was the truth but she didn’t have to tell the police.  All he wanted was to let things continue as they were.  He didn’t like being tied down with responsibilities.

As Marilyn nursed her drink, she didn’t know that Travis was outside in the shadows, waiting for her and expecting to force her back into their usual life. A man should tell his woman how things were going to be and then enforce his expectations.  He wasn’t going to let her ruin the things he wanted.

Marilyn had left her old life behind. Two drinks and she was already starting to relax. She just wanted to dance her cares away, a warm moist body looking for cool company.  It was a particularly dangerous situation.

Dennis was like a cool wind as he came through the doors.  He immediately joined his friends when he arrived.  He was aware, however, of a beautiful woman sitting alone at a table.  He glanced at her several times, trying to decide whether she was waiting for someone or really alone.

After a few minutes he sauntered over and asked, “May I join you?”

Marilyn replied, “Sure, if you’ll tell me about yourself.”  She was ready for conversation, a little romance, and a change in her life’s direction.

Outside the bar Travis was still waiting.  He didn’t expect Marilyn to stay inside so long.  He wanted to join her as she left the bar.  His argument was prepared.  He’d say, “You had no right to kick me out of the apartment.  We’d been together too long for you to just tell me to leave.  That other woman meant nothing.  She was just a passing fancy and it’s already over. What were you concerned about?  I always came back.”

A TV was on. The Weather Channel was blaring as a meteorologist explained the very dangerous conditions ahead.  “Through the middle section of the country there’s potential for extremely violent weather.”  She pointed to the west coast and said, “The cold jet stream will be racing across these mountains and will meet warm moist air across this large area.  There could be violent storms, capable of producing many tornadoes.  It’s a PDS.”

The bartender changed the channel so the patrons could watch sports.  Then he leaned over and told Dennis,   “I’m getting tired of seeing references to the weather.  That stuff never happens.  It’s just to scare people so they continue watching.  Something real like basketball or baseball, now that’s something to watch.”

Dennis was not as cool as he appeared.  For some unknown reason this woman seemed mysterious.   He tried a safe line, hoping Marilyn wouldn’t pin him to the wall.  “Up until I met you, I led a very tame life.”

“Oh, please,” Marilyn said.  “If you can’t tell the simple truth, I don’t want to listen.”

She wasn’t encouraging, but she didn’t tell him to leave either. Dennis started again.  “I’m a meteorologist and I chase storms.”

“That’s enough.  Go back to your group until you grow up and can tell me the honest truth.”

Dennis started to get up but he sank back into his chair.  “That is the truth.  Do I need to prove it to you?”

Marilyn looked at Dennis skeptically.  “Explain what you do.”

Half an hour later he was still going over details.  She listened intently, asking questions that made him go into greater depth.  He couldn’t remember the last time he had talked so much.

At that moment one of Dennis’s friends called out, “Dennis, why are you still here?  I thought you wanted to be rested before you went tornado wrestling.”

“Yes, I know, but now I’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

Marilyn straightened up.  “Take me with you tomorrow.  I want to see what a storm chaser does.”

(To be continued)

 

 

Related articles

• Unlike S. Fla, Midwest Prepping For Severe Weather (miami.cbslocal.com)
• Storms Threaten North Texas Overnight/Tomorrow (dfw.cbslocal.com)
• The Outbreak Takes Shape Out West (valleywx.com)
• WEATHER BLOG: Getting Warm (baltimore.cbslocal.com)

Staying In My Place

dream,dream,dream (Photo credit: sushiraider)

During the day you can ignore me,

But I am there in the night when you cry out,

You dream of me and long for my warm embrace,

I melt into your softness and you’re mine without doubt,

 

You don’t ask for forgiveness,

But I’ll be with you tonight,

I’ll take what you give me,

And we’ll make love in the moonlight,

 

We’ll tease the passion that smolders within,

While the moon plays in her crystal pond,

My lips and fingers will dance across your skin,

And we’ll play, too, from our world beyond,

 

The stars we’ll count one by one,

With kisses to keep the score,

The numbers might be astronomical,

And should you beg for more,

 

I might stay a little longer,

If soft words are whispered in my ear,

Your dreams can keep me forever,

If you want me near,

 

Yet when daylight chases dreams away,

And we’re standing face to face,

I’m almost a stranger,

And you keep me in my place,

 

Why do you tempt me so when you walk by,

And keep me tied with a silken thread,

I dream of you even in the daylight,

Images of you dance in my head,

 

The two worlds must be kept apart,

Lying in each other’s arms the flames leap,

But that world is made of dreams,

And in the day we have secrets to keep,

 

I’m stuck in my cubicle,

While your empire continues to grow,

I’m only a lowly technician,

And you’re the powerful CEO,

 

It is too big a gulf to cross by day,

But at night when the lights go low,

Your dreams will call me,

And to your cold bed I will go,

 

Flesh will fuse with flesh,

Love will mingle with sweat,

And I will be caught in your silken web,

But with only one regret,

 

I’m living in a dream world I can’t share,

Just like the moon hanging in space,

We’re two worlds apart,

And I have to stay in my place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Dreams and the world (jwsasongko.com)
• Jun E Dreamers (junecaniel.wordpress.com)
• The Last night dream : where I’d like to stay forever (mrajivsubramanian.wordpress.com)
• Frozen Moments… (10) (shilrani.wordpress.com)
• What an Insight! (idreamcrazythings.com)
• In Your Dreams (uw20sciencemediaandculture.wordpress.com)
• The Nature of Dreaming (confidentwriting.com)
• Dream World (souloutloud.wordpress.com)
• Listening to the Wind (merlinspielen.com)

The Advantages of Getting Older

Česky: Naslouchadlo – instalace do ucha English: Hearing aid, photo taken in Sweden (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“There are advantages of being older,” I said,

She said, “You’ve lost your mind,”

”Yes,” I answered, “You’ve got that right,

And often it’s hard to find,”

She replied, “Name one of those special things,

That come with advanced age,”

I said, “I’m sure I can do more than that,

Now that you’ve set the stage,”

“Remember those Easter eggs,

That I hid so carefully outside,

I found a few more rotten ones today,

That’s why they’re fun to hide,”

“And those bills I forgot to pay,

Bring people pounding on my door,

I greet them very warmly and say,”

“Please come and visit some more,”

“If I sit quietly for awhile,

I appear to be crafty and wise,

I don’t have to prove a point,

Or cover my trail with lies,”

“Through my lifetime the mistakes I made,

Are now considered experience I gained,

And my experience becomes wisdom over time,

No longer are my mistakes a pain,”

“I can say what I want,

Be bold with words I say,

For just because I appear old,

I’m forgiven for yet another day,”

“People treat me with utmost respect,

They often shout and wave,

But one finger is hard to see,

And their words I don’t need to save,”

“You can talk all you want about me,

My hearing has started to fade,

And if I don’t like what I hear,

I’ll turn off my hearing aid,”

“I still need love and lots of hugs,

Even at this crusty old age,

So give me hugs, lots of hugs,

I’ll count them as my retirement wage,”

“You might consider me a dirty old man,

The way I look at you,

But don’t let it bother you much,

I’ve forgotten what to do,”

“I would tell you more, oh, there’s so much more,

But I forget what I thought,

You’ll have to catch me in a moment,

Doing something I should not,”

“If I ask you to repeat what you said,

It’s so I’ll have your wisdom to keep,

On the other hand, if you keep talking on,

I’ll get much needed sleep,”

“There are advantages of being old,

In spite of being wrinkled and gray,

Every day that I’m still above ground,

I give thanks for each bonus day.”

Related articles

• The New Old Age Blog: Why Won’t They Get Hearing Aids? (newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com)
• I don’t need hearing aids (withyourcuppa.wordpress.com)
• Study of the Day: Most Older Adults With Hearing Loss Are Untreated (theatlantic.com)
• The importance of hearing aid care (savingsroundup.com)

No One Else Will Do

Love Songs (Heart album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’d call you my love,

Though I haven’t had the nerve,

Because you’re everything I wanted,

Much more than I deserve,

 

In my dreams you’re by my side,

That’s where you want to be,

I know what I see in you,

But what do you see in me?

 

If I could whisper in your ear,

And tell you of joys ahead,

I’d convince you of my love,

And take you to my bed,

 

Not tall tales but truths I’d tell,

And share with you my heart,

You would know how deep my soul,

And how much you played a part,

 

But don’t wait for me to say,

How much you mean to me,

Just know I have you in my heart,

That’s where you’ll always be,

 

I want to claim you for my own,

To share the whole world wide,

I’ll listen and love you as you are,

And I’ll look at you with pride,

 

You won’t have to read my mind,

To know what I think of you,

You’ll always be my love,

Because no one else will do.

 

 

 

Related articles

• I whisper from my heart my love each day (myheartsingspoetry.wordpress.com)
• Heart Whispers (heartwhispers.co.uk)
• Like A Whisper (simpleme2.wordpress.com)
• Isn’t love what we deserve? (ourwhitelephants.wordpress.com)
• A Day Without You (annep71009.wordpress.com)
• Giving Up and Surrendering to Love’s Call (poemotherapishoppe.com)
• i fall (rahkytopia.wordpress.com)
• Hope (theopenone.wordpress.com)

A Mighty Roar

The Roar of Love (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

She sat across from me,

Her eyes luminous and bright,

Her black glossy hair framed her face,

I guessed she could see in the darkest of night,

 

Her eyes were those of a predator,

And yet I could not look away,

I found her very attractive,

In an odd sort of way,

 

Staring intently at me,

I was more than just prey,

She was purring to my heartbeat,

And making a mating play,

 

I had no fear in my heart,

Just excitement welling up within,

How should I approach her,

When I didn’t know where to begin,

 

“Do you always wear a mask?”

Her question broke the ice,

“I didn’t want you to know my thoughts,” I said,

I presumed my answer would suffice,

 

 

“Do you want me?” she purred,

“Your interest is hard to see,”

I smiled at her question,

Because I knew she wanted me,

 

From my chest came a mighty roar,

She quivered, shook, and drew near,

She liked the animal sound that I made,

And she whispered in my ear,

 

“Let’s find a cave in the dark,

Someplace the light doesn’t shine,”

She followed me away from the crowd,

And she let me make her mine,

 

We loved away several nights,

I’m sure there will be more,

All she has to do is look at me,

And I begin to roar,

 

You, too, might find someone,

Who purrs both night and day,

Turn your instincts completely loose,

And love will find a way.

Related articles

• Sometimes You Gotta Roar (bepaulin.wordpress.com)
• Roaring on the Inside (godsfingers.wordpress.com)
• Hear me roar (northernmum.wordpress.com)
• A weird but true story (somkritya.wordpress.com)

Facing the Storms

An occluded mesocyclone tornado (Oklahoma, May 1999) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I stood facing the storm,

Shaking my fists at the sky,

“I’m as angry as you are,

Don’t you dare pass me by!”

 

The storm roared out an answer,

One that I couldn’t comprehend,

From the clouds lightning flashed,

No way my position I could defend,

 

“You think that I’m afraid,

To hear your mighty roar,

But through the years I’ve gotten strong,

And you don’t scare me anymore,”

 

Large clumps of ice were thrown,

But I dodged each and every one,

Then the wind howled at me,

Thinking I was completely done,

 

I raised my arms once more to protest,

I shouted, “Is that all you’ve really got?”

The winds blew even stronger then,

And my question I soon forgot,

 

The angry storm surged ahead,

With me squarely in its sights,

Drenched and bruised I stood firm,

Determined to last through the night,

 

The winds slowed and died down,

The storm was coming to an end,

“What made you want to defy me?” it asked,

“You were brave and strong, my friend,”

 

“Today I buried someone dear to my heart,

Too young to pass away,

I have nothing left to live for,

I’m not ready for a brand new day,”

 

The storm said, “The world would lose a man,

Someone who is filled with love inside,”

The storm was barely a whisper,

“You’d be missed if you were injured or died,”

 

The rain fell in soft little drops,

Tears falling from the storm’s eyes,

I gained respect for a storm,

And I was willing to give life another try,

 

Sunshine warmed me at the break of day,

The world was beautiful again,

My tears had fallen along with the storm’s,

And I was ready for my new life to begin.

 

 

Related articles

• Storm Series Part 2 ~ Rest in Him (multipurposemom.com)
• More Summertime Weather Ahead (dfw.cbslocal.com)
• Looking Very Wet Early Next Week (dfw.cbslocal.com)
• Watching Heavy Rain for Part of the Weekend (dfw.cbslocal.com)
• Tornadoes possible in eastern Texas Panhandle tonight (amarillo.com)
• Storm Timeline for Monday, April 2 (dfw.cbslocal.com)
• Dense fog advisory issued in Oklahoma as storm chances increase Monday (newsok.com)

Her Eyes, Her Smile, Her Hair

Love heart uidaodjsdsew (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

She was the one I dreamed of,

But the one I couldn’t have,

I kept my feelings tucked inside,

Each time I came near her,

A part of my heart died,

 

I loved everything about her,

Her eyes, her smile, her hair,

In the dark when I was alone,

She was my lady fair,

 

Oft when we were together,

She would give a friendly hug,

My heart would flip excitedly,

But all I could do was shrug,

 

She belonged to another,

She was as faithful as could be,

Yet somehow I always knew,

He didn’t love her as much as me,

 

He treated her very badly,

She was his personal slave,

He tired of her eventually,

And drove her to her grave,

 

The love I had she never knew,

For he was always between,

But in another life in another time,

I would have claimed her as my queen,

 

There is little warmth left in my heart,

Each day it drops a degree,

Without her presence in my life,

There is nothing left for me,

 

I cannot endure without sleep again,

Yet my dreams beg for another chance,

Is there someone who could love me back,

And fuel the fires of romance,

 

This world is too harsh to face alone,

I want my heart to flare,

I want to love someone as she is,

Her eyes, her smile, her hair,

 

In the night I want to hold her close,

And feel her heart start to race,

We’ll share sweet love with new hope,

Together the world we’ll face,

 

The rest of my life will be about love,

No longer will I stand aside,

I want to share love with someone new,

And stir my fires inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• I Love When She Smiles: A Letter for My Love (socyberty.com)
• Dreamin’ of You (annep71009.wordpress.com)
• Give It Up (Love) (misscaryl.wordpress.com)
• Relationships by Vishwathika (ettekaalsecond.wordpress.com)
• Falling in Love At A Coffee Shop (unskilledbalagtas.wordpress.com)

When Love Starves

Love Life (Berlin album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

We fell head over heels,

The first moment we met,

The world buzzed with happiness for us,

As we watched sunrise and sunset,

 

We had no worries of tomorrow,

We were too full of today,

Life continued to happen,

When reality walked in to stay,

 

Long planned and wanted,

Children arrived and began to grow,

Soccer games and mini vans,

Became the life we learned to know,

 

Busy we were, from dawn to dusk,

We had no fear of growing apart,

We expected our love to last forever,

But neither of us knew our hearts,

 

Problems arose over the course of time,

We argued and fought, forgot to be kind,

We dug trenches and built walls,

Instead of lovers we were enemies in our minds,

 

Patterns of life that should have been fun,

Were swallowed up by silence’s gulf,

It doesn’t matter which one to blame,

It was decided that enough was enough,

 

We tumbled from the pedestals we were on,

Much too high as we fell from the sky,

There was no way we could stay there,

No longer did we care to try,

 

The beautiful things I knew about you,

In all the turmoil I forgot,

And the words and acts of love,

No longer from you were sought,

 

We could have tried harder,

Worked through our problems by choice,

Instead we continued out of control,

Until we broke our vows by divorce,

 

Each of us played a part,

We didn’t give love a chance,

Our love died by not being fed,

And life shut down our luke-warm romance.

Related articles

• Love (frankoshanko.wordpress.com)
• Sunrise, sunset: Telegraph readers’ pictures of dawn and dusk (telegraph.co.uk)
• Definition of Night………….Night, That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise; esp., the time between dusk and dawn, when there is no light of the sun, but only moonlight, starlight, or artificial ligh (benbenw10.wordpress.com)
• Sunset….Sunrise…A Haiku Delight (thoughtsfromtheoutdoors.wordpress.com)
• Sunrise, Sunset. . . (everybodyneedsalittleromance.com)
• In the sunrise… (bringinlight.wordpress.com)

“Would You, Could You?”

"Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me" reception at Octavia Books, Uptown New Orleans. Mo Rocca. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For me some needs never change,

As a child and growing like a weed,

I got bumps and bruises,

And discovered an inner need,

 

I needed acknowledgment,

For wounds and battles already won,

I’d say, “I need a hug,

So my day can continue on,”

 

As a shy, insecure teenager,

While out on a date,

I’d be fretting and nervous,

Perhaps you can relate,

 

There were moments of silence,

When I didn’t know what to do,

I’d look my partner in the eye,

And this is what would ensue,

 

“I think our evening has been great,”

I’d say with a shrug,

“So would you, could you,

Give me a hug?”

 

As an adult, life happened quickly,

And with a wife and house full of kids,

Things didn’t always go smoothly,

Sometimes we flipped our lids,

 

But in the late evening,

When there was peace and quiet,

I’d think over the events of the day,

Before I turned out the lights,

 

“This was a very long day,”

I’d say with a shrug,

“Wrap your arms around me,

And give me a hug,”

 

The best part of life is gone,

It happened so very fast,

But most of my so called problems,

Were forgotten in my past,

 

I see the world more clearly,

As I face each and every day,

I know I couldn’t have made it this far,

Without hugs along the way,

 

To anyone who will listen,

My favorite thing I’ll say,

“Would you, could you,

Give me a hug today?”

 

The news continues to bother me,

Wars, famines, and a new flu bug,

So wrap your arms around me,

And give me a hug,

 

You might want to ignore me,

As I stare out into space,

But there is something you can do,

To bring a smile to my face,

 

Just say, “Do you have a problem?”

I’ll grin and I’ll shrug,

And you’ll know it’s the best time,

To give me a giant hug,

 

If I’m wasting away in a corner,

Or standing in a line,

If I get a little tender loving care,

I’ll make it just fine,

 

When my life is full of sorrow,

I’ll greet it with a shrug,

But “Would you, could you,

Give me a hug?”