sara Etgen-Baker Poet Free verse

Notes About The Poem

image from abc13.com

The Texas ice storm in February 2021, also known as *Winter Storm Uri, caused widespread power outages and severe damage across the Lone Star State, affecting all 254 counties. The storm resulted in record low temperatures, significant snowfall, and an estimated $195 billion in damages, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in Texas history.  (Source Wikipedia.com)

Poem written for and submitted to "Of Ice and Men" poetry contest, Anthony Biaanco, sponsor, December 7, 2025.

WINTER STORM URI-A Tale of Ice and Men

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The grid failed first~  
then the pipes burst their seams,
weeping silver tears down frozen walls.

The night groaned under the weight of frozen sky
a thousand fractures in the power lines~
silent screams of transformers dying. 

Darkness engulfed the Lone Star State, 
gnawing at the edges of counties and cities. 
But the men came anyway, 
their gloves split by the cold,  
boots cracking ice like thin bones.  

No heroics, just work~

Men in orange vests moved like ghosts
through glassy, slick streets
their breath leaving them in ragged clouds,
each one a prayer for warmth. 

Linesmen dangled like marionettes
from poles slick with betrayal
fingers numb, breath curling in shattered puffs 
stitching light back into the sky
one frayed wire at a time.

Blue lights cut through the sleet~
not for crime, but for warmth
for the woman shaking in her car with a newborn,
engine dead as stone.

The police traversed the streets,   
tires spinning on invisible black ice,
their cruisers sliding like doomed ships,
flashlights cutting through the gloom  
where families huddled under blankets,  
where an old man’s oxygen machine sputtered silent.  

The fireman’s axe didn’t care about the cold~
only the door it shattered, the grandmother inside
still clutching her rosary. 
Firemen across the state kicked in doors,  
their axes swung against ice-clogged hydrants,  
each strike ringing hollow in the frozen air.  

Somewhere in East Texas, 
a lone fireman’s breath hung in the air~
white flag of exhaustion 
as he hauled another body
from a house without heat.

The child in his arms didn’t shiver.
Not anymore.

All night, the wind screamed.  
All night, these men did not stop.  

In the morning, as the thaw crept in,  
some slept in trucks,  
some drank bad coffee from a thermos,  
some stood staring at downed lines~  
weary, yes, but still standing.  

They were not gods~  
just men with wives who texted be safe,  
whose children didn’t understand 
why they had no heat and why lights stayed off.  

No monuments would bear their names,  
but for a week,  
these men were the only thing  
between Texas and the abyss.

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Karen Jones December 26, 2025 at 1:17 PM Back to say congratulations on your trophy win! I said it deserved a trophy so I’m tickled pink you got it!

Line Gauthier December 15, 2025 at 6:56 PM What a horrific nightmare described skillfully. Powerful tribute to fine brave men.

Paige Hind December 8, 2025 at 8:38 PM A beautiful tribute, Sara. Made me appreciate those men, even though I am not from there. Made me appreciate them everywhere. sara Etgen-Baker December 11, 2025 at 6:44 PM thanks, Paige. Grateful my poem stirred a feeling of appreciation. I do so appreciate your ongoing support for my poetry....means a lot to me

Shadow Hamilton December 7, 2025 at 9:35 PM It just goes to show the temper of nature and awesome power. a terrific write Sara good luck in contest may u win a trophy hugs Shadow sara Etgen-Baker December 11, 2025 at 6:45 PM thanks, Shadown for stopping by and for sharing your thoughts. I also appreciate your encouragement...hugs, Sara

Karen Jones December 7, 2025 at 5:44 PM Wow this deserves a trophy! What an engaging read with a nice historical note and picture! Your poem will do well in the contest! Best wishes Sara! sara Etgen-Baker December 7, 2025 at 5:49 PM wow, thank you, dear Karen, for your appreciation and enthusiasm for my poem. Color me grateful hugs, Sara

William Kelii Kekaula December 7, 2025 at 5:20 PM I was entertained nicely, through the parley trail that left me entranced, by the figurative depiction that captivated me, enshrouded in a masquerade of fleeting shadows, only to be embraced in the glow of its words, that shone its depth from within my enriching soul, thank you. sara Etgen-Baker December 7, 2025 at 5:52 PM you made my day, William, with your poetic comments--ones of appreciation for which I'm humbly grateful. I'm at a loss for words. Thank you.