12:42 AM

I wake up to hear the front door slam close,
Figuring it's someone letting the dogs out
so I go back to sleep.

4:00 AM
My father's alarm is going off but
it does not stop.
I find his alarm clock but not him.
I sluggishly go in the kitchen and look
out the window. There is no familiar
bulky silver truck with a black back rack
and sterling tool box with the
I.C. Reed and Sons logo on the side.
I look on the counter and find
a note from him, saying got called
into work and don't know for how long.
I go back to bed to sleep some more.

6:30 AM
My alarm clock is going off,
getting up slowly and moving to the living
room couch to sip my usual black tea and watch
the news: school is cancelled.
There is suppose to be 50 mph winds with
a mixture of three feet of bitter snow and harsh hail.
I'm worried about Dad and our safety,
I gather supplies and get our bucket of emergency
tools: flashlights, candles, lanterns, and cards.
I fill a couple five gallon buckets of water,
and I sit and try not to worry.
What if his mustard yellow bucket truck
with two blue stripes goes off the road?
What if his boom arm breaks at the elbow?
A cluster of questions storm my head,
and I am instantly worried so I try to go back to bed.

9:47 PM
I wake up to my little brother playing with the dogs,
getting up to see if my dad is home,
but he is not yet.
I check to see if everything is okay,
if we lost power, water, or heat.
We are fine, so I ball up and go back to bed.

5:32 AM
I hear the front door open,
and I know he is finally home,
tired, cold, and hungry.
He checks on us to see if we are alright.
then he goes to bed and sleeps.