Iowa

in view of the recent floods here in the USA and all across the world, blessings and peace to all affected

    

The rain fell gently
the town breathed a sigh of
relief-
from the hot summer sun
that beat down upon the sleepy
town in the middle of America

The rain fell relentlessly
the town inhaled -
a ragged breath
as building after building
home after home
was a - washed with rain
and muddy river waters

People were swept away
no escape
homes, cars, trucks
bicycles, tricycles
little toy boats
the water took

The corn will not pop,
Orville-
it is water logged
Iowa is a river of sadness
thoughts and prayers
wishes and wonders of-


what sleepy town is next
to you I send

May the itsy-bitsy spider climb
up the spout again

Author's Note

With all the flooding here the tsunami the earthquake just thought of this..I wrote this when the flooding plagued Iowa a couple of years ago..
flooding and tornado damage came this year in my home state- lives were lost- homes and businesses and FEMA isn't helping! (didn't help much here when this was written)
Thanks FEMA and Obama....You can do it , yes you can but you won't... Illinois we are not ... sorry, upset about this!

Reviews

[Harley Ann]

I understand why you're upset. It's terrible, what weather can do...and whose fault is it? So many arguments about that one...
This definitely makes readers, or at least me, open my eyes and realize how serious things get...I was just watching Twister yesterday, and this has a similar message I think...
Very nice. I love your works :)

P.S...might I ask (since you don't accept read requests) if you could take a look at the book I'm writing? heh...It would be much appreciated, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[Jonathan Ballam]

Gentle and emotional. I loved your last line...too beautiful ;)

Nothing wrong with reacting to FEMA. My most favourite television blunder will still be that one time when a black person was commenting on hurricane Katrina (on a television network, can't remember which one now)... and said something along the lines of 'No one is helping us because George Bush doesn't like black people.'

Then...boom, suddenly you see a jazz band playing a lovely sweet song that is totally unrelated.

I'm glad to see you're a poet who is unafraid of being an activist!

[Gomer LePoet]

you should send this to FEMA, Mr. Obama, along with your note. how can we keep letting seemingly intelligent people ruin this nation with their apparent non understanding of what is real

[Fabian G. Franklin]

We are under a flash flood warning as I write this review...rains falling at the rate of 1 inch per hour. That's some heavy rain. And it looks like we'll be blessed with a little more. One thing about it, when you live on a mountain, it has to flow downhill.

[Creepy Swine Guy]

It is so very interesting how delicate the balance of nature is. One year the lack of rain can torment a place and the next ... the rain can come in torrents, obliterating everything in it's path. This is why I think man needs to take greater care in how we treat this earth.

Very good reminder here

[Desert Dreamer]

Well written poem about the damage caused by nature. I felt the loss and feel like their is more to this poem than just the losses from the flooding...when reading it I was feeling the losses all over the country due to the bad economy in these recent times (I just looked at other reviews and agree with Rock and Roll Cowboy, I must have had a similar interpretation of your poem). I hope the spider is able to climb back up.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

I read this before the authors notes and I took it as a metaphoric example of how big business kills little business buy undercutting their prices... in a way I was right... this is so sad, I mean don't they get it that the back bone of america is the farmlands supplying our food. A remarkable piece bringing attention to a major problem.

[A.r. Bazian]

kinda weird... psychedelic shift of imagery!
this is good!
not bad at all! still i find the strength...you can too!
be well!

[Shalini Dinesh]

natural calamities are something which couldn't be prevented when it occurs and government and other concerned organizations don't help we really get so upset about it... a very good poem...

[Captain Blackheart (The..]

Floods take aways peoples, homes, dreams and lives. I myself live near a river and lucky for me have never experianced such things. A touching write!

[Jibey]

Floods can do terrible damage... You describe the transition from drought to flood well and end up with a somewhat forlorn hope