September coolness
Arrived on winds of Ida
Roaring Lioness
Homes flattened // flood waters rise
New York Subway gushes full
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Not the beginning of Fall we had hoped for…
Painting: Dwight L. Roth
Disaster
Red Moon Rising
Tears flowed like a downpour on a hot summer day. All around, Jennifer could see the wives of the miners in Swift Creek Mine. Earlier that morning, an explosion trapped eight men in the far end of the shaft. Three of Jennifer’s friends were among the women anxiously awaiting their fate.
The siren on top of the tipple sent shrill chills through the little coal patch. At times like this, the whole neighborhood rushed to the mine for word of who the trapped miners might be. Those whose husbands were safe, stayed to give comfort and support.
A red moon rides on the humps of the low river hills of the Monongahela. Jennifer could only wonder when it would be her time to weep; having a husband and son who worked there.
Everyone went silent… as the men were carried out… one by one!
Painting of Coke Ovens and Mine: Dwight L. Roth
Prosery today at d’Verse: Lillian gave us the challenge to write a flash fiction of exactly 144 words that includes a given line from Carl Sandburg’s poem, Jazzy Fantasia . The line I included was A red moon rides on the humps of the low river hills… This story comes from memories of my childhood in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Many lives were lost in the coal mining industry that supported our steel mills in Pittsburgh at the time.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com
Jaded
When evil stares us in the face, something happens within that turns average people into heroes. In our world tragedies like this are becoming more frequent. It can be easy to start to think this is to be expected and common place. But we cannot become jaded. We cannot give in to the evil always present around us. As we saw people in the midst of the firestorm of bullets risking their own lives to help others, we can see that we are greater than any evil force coming against us. Love overcomes in the end. As the Bible tells us, “Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!
Jaded
Let us not become jaded
With reports of senseless violence
Brought to us in living color
Real time action like virtual reality
Worn across our eyes
Let us not become jaded
When shootings and bombings
Happening in a city next door
Or a country far away
Come across the screen in mixed truth
Let us not become jaded
When evil invades our life
Assuming it to simply be the norm
Listening to the talking heads blame one another
Let us not become jaded
Thinking all is lost and evil has won
Don’t believe it do not fear
Brother helps sister when danger is near
Let us not become jaded
For love is not lost
Tragedy brings unity
Realizing what is really important
Is standing arm in arm and hand in hand
Knowing that in the end Love Wins!
The Sleeping Giant
A Sleeping Giant
Lies breathing between continents
In and out its chest rises and falls
A Shrek of a guy most of the time
Children and adults float
Bouncing on his crest
Squealing with delight
On bubbles of air
But beware
Of the Ides of October
When tossing and turning
Nightmares return
Thrashing coughing
Scaring all who once played on his chest
Fear and trepidation
Waters rise
Winds howl
Floods come up
Big Blow AKA Matthew
Brings Halloween early
All Tricks
No Treats
Wide awake
Nightmare passes
Giant sleeps once more
Fans have nowhere to lay their heads
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Painting by Dwight L. Roth
Roth Poetry 