Hurricane Alicia was the first named storm of the 1983 Hurricane season. For almost 20 years this Category 3 storm held the record for damage costs. The name Alicia was retired.
There is a certain black:
a whispering kind of darkness amplifying
sounds and smells dreams of light drawn
in shaky hands the damp sheets have slowly
found a way to the blackened floor cooling
in the five inch gap to the hardwood the pulse
of the smallest finger pumps out the seconds
steady grip on the corded edge of the mattress
day and night will continue as one the alarm
will not signal the dawn nor will it be necessary
to draw attention to the twenty minutes of peace
– C. Prudence Arceneaux
C. Prudence Arceneaux, a native Texan, earned a BA in Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing, from the University- formerly- known- as- Southwest- Texas- State. Her work has appeared in various journals, including Limestone, Hazmat Review and Inkwell. Her chapbook DIRT was awarded the Jean Pedrick Prize.