Student Publishing Program ::

Zaroug J.

The Storm

The sweat rolled down the man’s brow as he sat inside the craggy, clustered house
Listening to the gushing of the river
He sighed and turned on the TV
To his left his eyes remained on the whimpering little child
Asleep in his creaking crib, still as a statue on a clear day
The man knew the child’s world was changing, like the course of a storm

The groaning man knew that there was coming, a storm
That would wipe away what the man and the child knew was their house
It was coming closer day after day after day
He knew the a new type of change was coming to the river
One that anyone could tell, even the little child
As the man slowly flipped aimlessly through the channels on the dusty TV

Every channel was blaring the same basic meaning on the TV
“Everyone must evacuate! Leave now, before the brunt of the storm!”
Yet the man could do nothing as he sat down next to the child
Over ten generations he and his family had been bound to the same house
Slowly, the waters rose in the river
The darkness encroached upon day

Yet he knew that humanity had caused that fateful day
Lights stopped as well as the blare of the TV
Doors of the house met the waters of the river
Trees were plucked out of the ground like toothpicks because of the storm
Yet as the water levels rose, a great sad sigh came from the house
Yet here, oblivious to the destruction around him lay the motherless child

Because of the mistakes of his forefathers, the one who had to suffer was this child
Because of the desecration of nature which had led to that fateful day
As the river started to engulf the helpless house
The message was forewarned by the TV
This calamity could be avoided and there would be no storm
And then there would be no vengeful river

The vengeful river
Who had previously taken the mother of the child
And was out to take the other two by the storm
And yet through that night the man was hoping, praying for there to be day
And for the times to go back to normal, yet as warned by the TV
That it was not safe in this house

Yet as this house was engulfed by the mighty river
The TV formed a raft by which the child could lie
As the day broke out, the storm sighed

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2013 EDITION]