Standby!

 

July standby!

And what a warning it was!

Barreling down early in the morning

Beryl was the buzz.

 

The buzz word, Beryl,

Was upon every tongue;

First morning of the month of July

She came bearing down.

 

Never before

Has there been such,

A category 4 hurricane in July

Was just too much.

 

Barbadians trembled;

New territory was this,

There was no way this southerly

That Beryl could miss.

 

 

Her sights were set on Bim

For whatever reason,

Hurricane Beryl chose our Barbados

To announce the season.

 

First hurricane, yes,

The very first in July,

Beryl has brought new meaning

To July Standby.

 

June is “too soon!”

July is “standby!”

August "come it must!”

But hurricane Beryl was in July.

 

None expects a hurricane

In the month of July

Never mind we have the saying,

July Standby!

 

 

And it was category 4

Before it made landfall

And was certain to hammer Barbados

Unless it could be stalled.

 

Out of the question!

Stalling was not to be,

This would be different from before

When we appeared lucky.

 

As for me,

I anticipated the worst,

Never had such happened before

And Beryl wanted this first.

 

Category 4 before landfall,

First hurricane in July,

Southeast rather than northeast,

Beryl changed standby!

 

But we give God thanks;

It could have been worse

Considering what Beryl had promised

On this July 1^st.

 

 

Now it is standby

For the other territories,

We pray as in the case of Barbados

They too experience ease.

 

Stewart Russell © July 1, 2024