The River Made Of Tears
I walk along the river bank
to where my family home once stood
There's nothing here but mud and rock
and memories from childhood
It wasn't time that wore it down
but water on one fateful day
Helene came through and by her wrath
my little home was washed away
And with it went my wife and child
as sudden rising waters struck
So unprepared we were for this
when massive flooding ran amok
The bridge that goes to town is gone
There's no way in or out of here
So many friends and neighbors lost
beneath this river made of tears
Oh Father, God, with broken heart
and spirit crushed, I call to Thee
I wish I had been swept away
instead of here on bended knee
Oh why have I survived this thing?
And how can I go on from here?
I'm stuck upon this broken bank
above this river made of tears
© Mike Wise
10-2-24
*This is based on the disaster that ravaged vast areas of Appalachia last week from hurricane Helene. I live in this general area where much devastation took place, but for the record, by God's grace where I live was relatively untouched. But my heart is broken for friends and neighbors, known and largely unknown, whose personal suffering and losses this poem cannot adequately describe. This was written on their behalf, based on many stories I heard in the news and the destruction I saw with my own eyes.
Copyright © Michael Wise | Year Posted 2024
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