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:
A vivid scene you paint.. it must have been horrid with such a quake.
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...
Something I hope to never experience.
Wow Gail just WOW. Hug B
Beautifully penned..!
xoxo
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
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.
wow. very scary and you portrayed that well!
I love the title and the last two lines!
Are you close to that fault? Very nice poem.
that must have been so frightening to go through that? the idea also of the Mississippi flowing backwards also boggles my mind?
Great poem, and something to really think about.
This is outstanding, Gail!
Your words penetrate through to heart....
Beware the Big Muddy.
I love that title...and the rest, too.
You have captured the turmoil of these natural cataclysms, and people having to learn to believe in living again. Exactly.
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!
Well done, Gail.
Great new header, too!
Have a blessed weekend!
Interesting new header!
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 ~
What an extraordinary event! You describe it vividly, and the list words might have been tailor made for this subject.
Quite scary!
Have a good weekend
All the best Jan
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.
Is that Bonnie playing "stare down" in the header Miss Creativity?!
You had me at your title first! Bravo.
..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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