Reflection: Irene

by Anna Van Dine

We all walk the same path;
we all walk our own path
we may plod, weighted down,
we may dance through a town,
the ground we tread on may be soggy and brown.

That is what happened on that one fateful day,
though many more like it should be coming our way
the water was rushing,
the sky-rain was gushing,
the leaves on the trees were swaying and hushing.

The river raced across everyone’s path,
wreaking its havoc and spreading its wrath
our paths were then crossed
for they had been tossed
intertwined by a river whose mind we’d thought lost.

We all walk together now and it is quite plain,
all holding hands in an unbreakable chain,
that we’ve all got each other
a neighbor’s a brother
when there’s nobody else we’ll still have one another.

Such easy targets our small towns may have seemed,
but we have something special that we never had dreamed,
Irene, you were wrong,
and recovery takes long,
but we will be strong,
we are so strong.

Irene Haiku
by Madeleine Lowe

Friends are quick to help
A loving community
We are Vermont Strong!

Irene Haiku
by Ethan Beard

Loud, raging river
swimming holes changed forever
river green and brown.


When the Water Poured Down
by Caleb Hoyne

The water poured down
saturating the earth’s floor
Flooding our Valley.

A tropical storm in Vermont?
That’s not what we want
But forever did it change
The Green Mountain’s range
With houses destroyed
And FEMA deployed
August 2011 has shown
We Vermonters are not alone.

Destruction of Irene
by Abi Lawrence

Splash!  The rain came down
all over the ground.
The wind moves fast
the trees start to cry
The sky turns to black
The lights start to flicker
Now they are out
and candles light up the room
lay down and cover you face
in the softness of your
pillow bridges gone, roads gone
people’s homes are gone
people are sad
Irene has made everyone
mad.

IRENE
by Lily Martin

Many watched as their homes went down,
their houses filled with a yucky brown
Sewage and water almost 6 feet high,
They merely let out one big sigh.

And then the tears like tiny rivers,
flowing down with one big shiver
because in just a blink of their eye
turned upside down went their sky.

One day they had a nice comfy bed
Now it was merely a dream in their head
Where would they go? What would they do?
The questions were all wrapped in one big, huge SNAFU.

But as they began to worry,
Their neighbors came with a hurry
To come to their dear friends’ aid,
Not a even a thought of being paid.

They brought shovels and a mask
Ready for any type of task
Sweat glimmered on their faces
Mud all over their laces

Yet they worked and worked and did not stop
They labored and tried until the sun made its drop . . .
And even then they didn’t rest,
until the house looked its very best.

And the owners cried and thanked them so,
but they didn’t want the least bit of show.

Those are the people who define the true meaning of Vermont,
a place where friends help friends without any want.

Irene may have destroyed our houses with great ferocity,
But she will never take away our spirit, or our generosity.

Forever One
by Kaleigh Hamel

On and on, the sky wept her tears
flowing freely, blowing freely
in the whipping wind
howling with cries of pain.

We shall never let our souls forget
the storm that struck our hearts
though memories fade in skies of gray
We shall remain: forever one.

Reunited with what once was lost
Neighbors known, and strangers seen
Do not carry your head low with no pride in your eyes -
For you are here with us:
THE SURVIVORS of Hurricane Irene.

Acrostic Poem on Flood Irene
by Ali Harris

Coming together
One
Many people affected
Many people helped
Unity
Never giving up
Irene can’t stop
Together we are strong
Yes, we survived.

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