Galveston, 1900
First the wind, then a tide like no other
uprooting the calm,
a visage tilted back in descent
as if listening for the aftermath.
And later, the gardener’s lament
and the building’s exposed ribs,
light entering the eternal
orchard, nine children tied to a cincture.
Not even the earth could retain its bodies,
and the sea remanded those given to its care.
O at the Edges 
powerful and forthright. thank you for sharing!
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It was a powerful storm. Devastating. Thanks for reading!
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Poignant.
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It occurred over a century ago, but is still remembered.
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I grew up in New Orleans and remember my grandmother talking about that storm. I was just a child when she told me and she was just a child when it hit. Their trying to wash us away! Randy Newman…
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Yes, yes. They’re trying to wash us away. And they succeeded.
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Your words made my heart ache.
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It’s good to hear that the words came together for you in that way.
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It was strange to hit “like” given the tragic subject. But, the poem is beautiful, and it honors the memory of those lost, which is important since this storm raged so very many years ago.
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Try as we might, we cannot control everything.
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Powerful. From someone from a country constantly at the mercy of Nature, thank you for this.
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Thank you.
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55 years later I saw the high water marks on buildings near the docks. Scary.
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Scary, indeed.
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Robert, you’re right in my backyard with this one. I’m 20 miles from Galveston and my first hurricane experience was Ike. Seven years ago I moved here…had mimosas on the beach in Galveston and a week later the island was demolished. Welcome to Texas, Audrey Dawn. Thanks for writing this poem. It is a well written piece. Emotive, indeed.
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And a fine welcome it was – Mother Nature in all her glory! Ouch.
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Fast, arresting imagery; spare, essential language; this is very powerful. I really felt this poem. It is rare to come across poetry like this on WordPress.
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Thanks so much. I’m very pleased you felt it.
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This piece really struck a chord with me. I will be following from now on. Thought you might like to read this one, of mine from a long-standing blog: https://kat5361.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/the-wreckage-halifax-1917/
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Thank you. I like your Halifax poem very much.
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Great poem describing a horrible even.
For anyone interested in the details of this storm I suggest they read Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. Isaac Cline was the weatherman stationed at Galveston in 1900.
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Thank you. I second the recommendation on the Erik Larson book.
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Any nature disaster can be deadly – powerful death that swipes the earth in its own time.
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Yes, indeed. You’ll find no argument here.
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This is beautiful. I love the powerful language you’ve used.
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Thank you, Ed.
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You are really a fantastic writer. Your choice in words is as developed as your conclusions.
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Thank you. I appreciate your visit and comment.
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Moving and powerfully written, Robert. I hope your conference with J.L. goes well. I got some very helpful and insightful comments from him, but over a month ago he went incommunicado and I may have to take him to small claims court to get reimbursed for the work he didn’t do.
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Thanks, Willow. I hope your problem works out – these things are never pleasant. I’m actually in the midst of a similar incommunicado situation, and it’s disheartening, to say the least.
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I lived in Houston for several years. I remember Hurricane Ike. Galveston was flooded again, destroyed but not as bad as how I hear happened in 1900. Great poem!
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Up until 1900 Galveston was one of the country’s major ports. The hurricane ended that. Thank you for stopping by.
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Powerful and devastating.
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Thank you.
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