JULIE ANN STEVENS

Sometimes life comes at ya like a hail storm out of a clear blue sky.

One minute your biggest worry is a drippy ice cream cone — the next minute it’s a funnel cloud spraying bullets of ice.

The sky inks over and the sirens blast.

You could — slam your mouth shut and take cover.

Wait for the storm to pass and hope like hell you’re not upended by a flying house.

Or —

you could take it to the roof —

throw your arms wide open and —

just lick harder.