girlusinterruptus

In the days following the July 2023 flood here in the Barre/Montpelier area in Vermont, those of us who lived right in the middle of it all watched the waters rise quickly. We tried to process what was happening, decide where to go or whether to stay in our homes, and after the waters receded, came out to see what to do next. For some of us, poetry is life and was one of the only ways we could respond to and assist with the flood recovery.

So now, right here, we invite you to read the poems we’ve provided in the Window of Delish on State Street. They will be gathered here as well.

You can participate two ways.

One: help us create a community poem. Using the opening line of this post, “First we watched the water rise, then we…” Post a stanza of your own in comments below, and using your stanzas, we will catalog and create a large poem that our community (you) will have created together.

Two: Submit either via the window project, or by posting your poem in the comments below a poem about the flood.

We will then post a full collection of poems including the group poem, “First we watched the water rise” online at least. We are investigating the possibilities of posting the entire group poem somewhere in town for all to see as they walk by, and of creating a collected anthology of poems about or inspired by the flood of 2023 … stay tuned, stay hopeful, stay engaged. 

Here is one I’ve written:

First, we watched the waters rise,

Then we went out to help our neighbors.

The Disaster Paparazzi swarmed, black flies

divebombing our astonished eyes.

Toxic silt steamed in the sun

And the stench filled our days.

But against the moonlit nights,

Fire alarms blaring uncontrollably,

Neighbors huddled on a wasted stoop,

we found the shiny side of our community,

Camaraderie in chaos, support from the shoulders

next to ours, and eventually, the updraft to

rise above.

The art is still up at Delish through January, and we are still seeking poems about the July 2023 flood in Central Vermont, surviving a flood in general, or water. We will be putting together an anthology of poems. Please share yours with us! Deadline is February 29th (because it’s a leap year!). You can post a comment here or email 1 – 3 poems with your name and a contact to us at JulyFlood2023@gmail.com. Be well.