a tale of tails, tenacity, and tedium, as told by me, usually barefoot and bellowing

Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Year The Mississippi Ran Backwards

the sandy clay dropped
folding the river bed
with such force
pieces rose and fell
leaving empty spots
water withdrawing reversed
gnawed boats, trees,
Reel Foot Fault bucked
New Madrid Fault thrust
land rose cutting like a knife
trees fell and sand spouts birthed
when the quiet returned
fragments of what was
lay in blood-less houses
people counted their blessings
and tried to believe in living again
                                             
                                                 The Imaginary Garden With Read Toads

27 comments:

brudberg said...

A vivid scene you paint.. it must have been horrid with such a quake.

Gillena Cox said...

Wow, really nice poem; amazing the hyperlink you gave , i linked across and read it all, thanks for the link, helped me to understand the intensity of your poem

muh love...

Anonymous said...

Something I hope to never experience.

Buttons Thoughts said...

Wow Gail just WOW. Hug B

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Beautifully penned..!
xoxo

MadSnapper said...

while reading the poem i wondered why i did not remember this, then i went to the link and found it was 200 years ago. scary just like all the tornadoes. hope you are safe this morning

Linda Kay said...

I've heard that name since I was a child, aware of it from Illinois. It is really a scary event. Thanks for the link, and good job with the poem.

TexWisGirl said...

wow. very scary and you portrayed that well!

said...

I love the title and the last two lines!

Farm Girl said...

Are you close to that fault? Very nice poem.

Gill - That British Woman said...

that must have been so frightening to go through that? the idea also of the Mississippi flowing backwards also boggles my mind?

Sandy Livesay said...

Great poem, and something to really think about.

Maude Lynn said...

This is outstanding, Gail!

humbird said...

Your words penetrate through to heart....

Fireblossom said...

Beware the Big Muddy.

De Jackson said...

I love that title...and the rest, too.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

You have captured the turmoil of these natural cataclysms, and people having to learn to believe in living again. Exactly.

gld said...

I have heard about that as long as I can remember but still just can't get my mind to accept it!

I just missed seeing the Mississippi when we got lost in St. Louis. If I had known how close we were we would have got lost a little further!

LindaG said...

Well done, Gail.
Great new header, too!
Have a blessed weekend!

The Furry Gnome said...

Interesting new header!

grapeling said...

this is -so- cool, Gail. you bring back that event, weave in history and geology (I love geology!) and do so seamlessly and with grace. thanks for adding your voice ~

Rosemary Nissen-Wade said...

What an extraordinary event! You describe it vividly, and the list words might have been tailor made for this subject.

Lowcarb team member said...

Quite scary!

Have a good weekend

All the best Jan

Susie Clevenger said...

Wow, such a visual piece addressing not only the toll on nature and human construction, but also the fragility of hope that raises from destruction.

Lynne said...

Is that Bonnie playing "stare down" in the header Miss Creativity?!

21 Wits said...

You had me at your title first! Bravo.

Margaret said...

..tried to believe in living again.

That is really a powerful last line - I can only imagine the nightmare of the earth giving way beneath one's feet.

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