Twister

TWISTER

 

The twister ripped through the tiny town,

Tearing every building to the ground,

Except the altar of the church stood

To remind us that God's will is good;

We find it hard to accept tragic death

Or pain we must endure, along life's path,

But He left a simple sign for us, today,

Saying those we loved passed on, not away;

We, all, hesitate to leave this time and space,

To dwell, forever, in an unfamiliar place;

That is why He sent forth the Word,

To hover, aloof, like a peaceful bird,

Waiting to guide His children home;

From whence they were born, is where they belong;

How do we learn what to appreciate,

If we are handed the world, on a silver plate;

This earth is not part of the future,

But, rather, the setting for spiritual adventure;

For now, we have been left behind

To save the souls of the just and kind

And to witness how lost souls end,

When they ignore God and worship sin;

Please, Father, give us the courage to go on, alone;

Fill us with the knowledge, we are not alone;

Help us grow strong, from this sorrow,

So we may join You, someday, tomorrow.

Author's Note

For the lost souls and survivors of Xenia OH, twice, visited by deadly twisters!

Reviews

[Albatross]

One of my favorite parts: "Saying those we loved passed on, not away"

Inspiring, thank you for this. It was well written, and it reminds us that while humankind can go through so much tragedy, we can always - with the help of God - become better people from the experience and inevitably recover from our hardships.

[Ice QueenJen]

great poem in tribute to a tragic event!

[NightsShade]

I'm not particularly religious but despite this, the content of the poem was very good. I'm sure that in the hearts of the religious, this is a prime example of the miracles that God works in the places that we least expect him to be. The only critical things that I have to say is this: I don't like the repetition of the rhyme word 'alone'. It disrupted the flow.

Anyways, I find it very hard to be critical on a piece that is dedicated to 'lost souls'...

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Christina,

I'm not a religious person. Yet still I enjoyed this piece as it is full of hope and encouragement for others.

Nicely written.

Best regards,

Rick

[Fabian G. Franklin]

This was wonderful to read. "From whence they were born, is where they belong;" I've always felt this way...never felt as if I belonged here but always longing to return to a home I left behind long, long ago.

[Desert Dreamer]

You have great skill with words and reading this poem makes me sad. I am sorry for those who lost loved ones although I don't share the religious belief expressed in this poem. There is much wisdom to be learned from observing nature.

[Dom Macchiaroli]

Makes me glad not to live in a twister area. The trials we go through in life are many times tough and inexplicable. Your piece describes that contradiction well.

[Nirmala]

A good tribute to those who experienced the twister. How aptly put ‘We, all, hesitate to leave this time and space, To dwell, forever, in an unfamiliar place;’ expressing how we cling to that which is temporary with no sight of the goal. The other line that has a great impact is ‘This earth is not part of the future, But, rather, the setting for spiritual adventure’. That could form quite a theological piece for guiding life with integrity!A good poem!

[Charles]

Aspiring poets could learn a lot abut smooth and easy rhyme from your poetry - a result of your being a lyricist I suspect. Too often, a line (and the flow of speech) is distorted to force a rhyme. I see none of that in the several poems of yours that I've looked at. What i see is a talent and a compassion for others. Good writing. I'll subscribe to your site in order to pick up a jewel now and again. :-)

[Ruth]

Beautiful hon! A real dedication of beauty! xx

[Coyote Poetry]

Power is powerful and true. A lot of wisdom in your words. I been through Xenia a few times my self. A wonderful city. A excellent poem.
Coyote