Utter stillness
until she arrives
with little warning
of the disaster she unleashes
upon the mountains
in a fury of floods
that cause land to slide and houses to topple
into bloated rivers that wash away
everything
but the survivors
who observe the wreckage
in stunned silence
W3 Prompt #178: Wea’ve Written Weekly hosted by poet of the week, Jaideep.
Higher ground safety
Quite simply a delusion
There is no escape
Autumn mountains slide away
Helene passes through clueless
TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 31, hosted by Yvette.
JJJ Interactive Books 
What a horrific experience! I am glad to see you are able to approach some kind of acceptance in your verses.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fortunately, it did not impact my community. At least not physically…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jen, this one really hit me—the way you move from “utter stillness” to the stunned silence after the storm feels so raw and powerful. I seem to remember that you’ve written about this before.
~David
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, thank you! It hit one year ago and was quite catastrophic. Many of the impacted communities are still recovering. ❤️🩹
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nicely done – masterful even! You captured the eye of the storm quiet and the silence of shock after… My sister lives in FL on the gulf coast and they have weathered several hurricanes. Not something I want to experience!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Val! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The stunned silence at the end seems to reverberate. Powerfully done!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Sarah! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so powerful, masterfully conveyed …💞
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Suzanne! 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
The contrast between “utter stillness” and “stunned silence” effectively frames the destruction. Wonderful creation.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jaideep! 😊
LikeLike
hi, Jen❣️
Just wanna let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our beloved Michelle, is now live:
https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/10/01/w3-prompt-179-weave-written-weekly/
Much love,
David
LikeLiked by 1 person