Sweet Sixteen

 

I wrote this poem after watching images of the appalling aftermath of Hurricane Ida.  Please be generous to those in need.  

Thanks for coming by to read.

 

The ocean came to visit

For our anniversary,

And it will be a long, long time

Before she’ll go away.

 

The stilted houses by the marsh

Were wading to their knees.

The palm trees bent before the wind,

Salaaming, in the breeze.

 

And lashing us, torrential,

Like a swarm of angry bees,

The rain went horizontal,

Beating, beating down the trees.

 

A shredded flag, wrapped round its pole,

Hung on for dearest life.

So too, we clutched at handholds,

Mimicking the Stars and Stripes.

 

And families, torn asunder,

Women, trapped in flooding cars,

And all the while, the water rose,

To show how weak we are.

 

Now every street is jumbled,

Every detail, out of place,

But I can hold you in my arms:

At least my baby’s safe.

 

The ocean came to visit

On Katrina’s sweet sixteen.

I’d just as soon, she’d sent a card,

Rude, as it may seem.

 

Copyright 2021 Andrea LeDew

 

For more on hurricanes, a topic with which, I regret to say, I have a passing familiarity, check out my  Hurricane Anthology.

For more on good manners read Bedside Manners for Doctors and Teachers and Thank You: It’s Only Polite.