3rd Place for Poetry
Andrew Campion Destructive Renewal
(based on intercalary Chapter 29 of the Grapes of Wrath)
Never-ending rain,
Constantly pouring, drowning, drenching;
Falling without knowledge of its purpose,
Wreaking havoc on the Okies;
The clouds, lessening their load,
The land, sucking "the moisture down,"
As the men and boys expel ethical choice,
Stealing, draining, absorbing,
But not breaking.
The mountains:
Swollen, bloated, and inflated,
Expelling their elements,
Releasing rage, iniquity, and despair on the tents below.
The water that destroyed this scene,
These broken hearts,
These days of poverty and hunger,
These wretched temptations of theft;
And yet, help remains unanswered.
The doctors, keeping busy with patients,
The sheriffs, recruiting new deputies and purchasing ammunition,
The townsfolk, comfortable in their "tight homes."
But the coroner arrives with open caskets:
The only source of hope.
"No work till spring. No work,"
The treachery, panic, and angst,
The loss of possessions and family,
But the gain of hope, beauty, and passion.
The "fear went from their faces,"
The "rain stopped,"
The "tiny points of grass came through the earth,"
And the gift of spring came;
The renewal of life.
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