AS A CLIMATE AND SEA LEVEL RISE HYPOCRITE,
FOR BUYING A HOUSE ON MARTHA'S VINEYARD
HOWEVER, WHILE OBAMA'S PLACE STANDS
TEN YARDS ABOVE HIGH WATER
ON A HILL HALF A MILE FROM THE OCEAN
ON AN ISLAND A HUNDRED YARDS HIGH:
TUCK BUILT HIS GULF RETREAT ON A SANDSPIT
A STONE'S THROW FROM THE SEA
 |
MAX. ELEVATION 13 FEET
I LIVED A MILE SOUTH OF HIS PLACE, UNTIL A STORM TIDE SENT SALT WATER UNDER MY DOOR,
AN EVENT MY LANDLADY TRIED TO DENY,
BUT NOT MY TEXAN NEIGHBORS, TO WHOM THE CHARM OF THE PLACE OFFSETS THE RISK
OF ITS BEING A GALVESTON WAITING TO HAPPEN:
LET US HOPE THE DAY AFTER HURRICANE IAN FINDS THE CARLSONS SAFELY AT HOME IN THEIR CUSTOMARY HURRICANE SEASON RETREAT,
A MAINE TOWN WHERE WATERFRONT PROPERTY
MEANS A POND TWENTY MILES INLAND
AND 700 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL
FOR THE FORECAST IS GRIM:
BUT FEW WILL BEAR WITNESS TO ITS ACCURACY. BOCA IS AN OLD FASHIONED WINTER RESORT THAT CLOSES DOWN FOR THE LONG HOT SUMMER, AND IN RECENT DECADES THE WATERS OF THE GULF OF MEXICO HAVE BEEN HITTING 90 F. WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY--
TOO HOT FOR SWIMMING,
BUT JUST FINE FOR HURRICANES 
