Dermas Deluge

Oh gosh, another tragedy. 
The news of Libya
Shatters the world.
Storm Daniel brings down
The first dam wall. 
Water hurtles 
Towards the second dam wall,
Breaching it from the
Pressure, it breaks and falls,
Flooding the river which broke
Its banks and swept in a
Devil like, sweeping, horrific
Water mass into the 
Town of Derma.
A nightmare of a situation,
Which broke all communication,
As bridges washed away, 
Electricity no more,
Destroyed by the angry
Torrent, consuming everything
And everyone in its path,
With a determined wrath.	
Eventually flowing into the sea,
Which in turn spewed
Out bodies rapidly, 
And relentlessly.


What a terrifying night
As people died,  
Leaving behind their loved 
Ones to grieve, if they could
Find, or identify the bodies. 
The town was leveled
To the ground, and
As Storm Daniel ceased 
Its roaring
And drowning, 
The living wailed,
And cried
And screamed,
Living each moment again, 
Such sorrow.
Dear God, give them strength
To face the morrow.
They search for a sign of life,
A husband lost his children, his wife.


The red cross came, 
Doctors, medicine, and nurses,
Volunteers tying to grapple,
And cope with this tragedy,
They climbed and scrambled
Over debris and mangled,
Bodies, Muddy water, 
Cars that were smashed,
Homes that water swept 
Through that were bashed,
By an enormous giant like monster,
A furious force of uncontrollable
Charging water.
The helpless prayed
Lifting their arms up high,
Towards the heavens
In the sky,
It was not their time to die, 
Yet some hoped they had,
As the pain of knowing,
Their loved ones had
Suffered and now dead,
Would be a lasting dread.

  

People by the thousands
Became homeless, the
The number of the dead,
In the town of Derma 
Was Unfathomable, 
And Unimaginable.
They wandered aimlessly, in a daze.
Could they come to terms
With what had happened.
The survivor’s strength,
Would come only as they
Rallied together.
You must do that dear friends,
Rather sooner than later.
God bless you all, the world
Grieves with you,
You are incredibly brave,
Let all your good memories
Surround you now and forever, 
And see you through
This horrible reality, a nightmare,
Think of the good times
Your heart and mind will remember,
And will slowly and slightly repair.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2023

Poem

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Zahid Avatar
October 13, 2023 at 11:16 AM
It's sad Jennifer, really very tragic. Wish we could do something to change things, but unfortunately we can't.
Baker Avatar
October 10, 2023 at 4:04 PM
Thank you, Jen, for your passionate voice in telling of this terrible tragedy. God help those that survived. They may be mindless for years to come. Thank you for sharing this cry for prayer and help for these people. The world is crumbling before our eyes. God help us all. It's hard to find peace for one's soul amongst these disasters. I do not have the words to express what I'm feeling. Peace and goodwill to all, Bill
Ricci Avatar
October 5, 2023 at 5:40 AM
Good Morning Jennifer. Hello. Please allow me to say your heart and soul shine in this pure and genuine tribute to what happened. Your humanity is ever present. Bless all those who were directly affected. There are no words for such happenings. You expressed yourself with dignity and grace. May today find you well. Blessings always along with peace. (smile)
Y. Avatar
October 1, 2023 at 5:59 AM
Hi Jenny, Hearing about the many tragedies is devastating. My heart goes out to the families of their lives. Your heart for people is evident in this my dear friend -Alexis
Sands Avatar
September 30, 2023 at 5:00 AM
This is such a terrible situation. I see your kindness in your poem. So many tragic things are truly happening. Bless you , my friend :)
Jayasankar Avatar
September 30, 2023 at 1:44 AM
Aw Jenni, you have depicted the terrifying scenes of the natural calamity in detail with your inspiring ink... I can understand a flood situation very well as I had heard about it from my own friends and relatives in Kerala in 2018.when they narrated their experiences of flood situation..."furious force of uncontrollable charging water"... how well described...and "the pain of knowing they have lost their loved ones"... oh... Such an gifted writer you are... Hugs... ~ Ani
Nicole Avatar
September 29, 2023 at 8:36 PM
Dear Jennifer, your words tug deeply at my heart. Such a tragedy, indeed. You describe those terrifying moments in such detail. Material things can be replaced, but not loved ones. This is tender and emotional, all at the same time. My best to you. Hugs, Brandy
Andresen Avatar
September 25, 2023 at 6:27 AM
- A powerful and heartbreaking poem, dear Jenny - In the ruins, the people fought against the clock ... man-made climate change has brutal consequences ... a disaster - hugs
Rodrigues Avatar
September 24, 2023 at 1:21 PM
I had not heard! I will have to look up. When you personalize it as if it was your loved ones… so hard! I read The Johnstown Flood a couple years ago. So the same would be true of the catastrophic wake. Thanks for sharing. :(
Pandit Avatar
September 24, 2023 at 1:09 PM
A tragedy indeed! So many lives lost and total destruction everywhere. You captured he devastation brilliantly my friend. Your heart reaches out to comfort them.
Poet Avatar
September 24, 2023 at 6:39 AM
Jennifer, Your poetic brilliance shines through in this great piece, which eloquently captures the profound impact of natural calamities. The floods ravaging Libya and Greece, their tumultuous torrents engulfing homes and shattering lives, leave a poignant ache in our hearts. And as the earth beneath Morocco quivers in agony, an earthquake unleashes its wrath, reducing cities to rubble and snuffing out countless souls. You skillfully shed light on the multitude of tragic events.
One Avatar
September 24, 2023 at 3:02 AM
There are a lot of heartbreaking things happening in the world with natural disasters and you have mentioned them here... floods in Libya and Greece and then the earthquake in Morocco was devastating, how sad so many lost their lives.. This is an excellent poem highlighting them all and you have used your poetic genius to express it..
Romios Avatar
September 23, 2023 at 11:57 AM
Jennifer Mou, my hearthurts for all the loss you described with such eloquence You did it artfully and passionately and with patience. I still am in soul pain over the thousands lost inMaui., Hawaii. Burned to death. Little children . Includes?.No warning give Even worse, roads were blocked and so people running to death in their cars! I hope all those responsible burn in hell. Sis Pangie xx
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