Issue 9: "Emergency in a Snowstorm" poem
A treacherous snowstorm forces a daring journey to save a mother's life in this gripping story poem.
"Emergency in a Snowstorm"
This story poem was inspired this last week at the Portland Poets' Society meetup at Lincolns on January 23rd. My new friend Taylor, a delightful and thoughtful musician and writer, observed that most of the poetry (including my own) was written from the perspective of the poet. So when I wrote this poem I challenged myself to tell a story. It was snowing outside at the time, and the world was overtaken in slippery white powder. And so this poem was born. I hope you enjoy the story.
Emergency in a Snowstorm
By Coco Poley
The snow fell fast and thick around the cabin on the hill,
The lady in the kitchen looked o’er her windowsill.
Sheets of white obscured the drive out to the road.
No way the the old SUV would make it while it snowed.
Out of bread and out of beans, the cupboard bare as bone.
A snowstorm hadn’t been announced, the lady hadn’t known.
Her mother lay ill in the bedroom, something chill had gripped her.
The lady watched the powder fall as drifts grew big, and bigger.
Her heart constricted as she heard her sickly mother’s cough,
The lady knew that medication could not be put off.
A ring, a bell, a clanging cell phone clattered on the table.
“Hello?” She answered and she heard, “I’ll be there when I’m able.”
Jack Frost pounded on the shutters, rattled at the locks.
The comfort that the voice had given was too quickly lost.
Miles away he donned his gloves, he got his coat and hat.
He stalked out to the icy car through drifts of snow all matte.
The same storm pounded on the cabin and the old truck’s glass.
The brother started up his truck and wished the storm would pass.
The sister watched in anxious fright and clutched her mother’s hand.
She said, “Oh mom, you have been the sweetest in the land,”
“So fight against the cold within and beat the cold without,”
“I know your strength and you will heal, of this I have no doubt.”
The mother sighed and gripped the hand that held her own.
The daughter, comforted by this, checked her old cell phone.
“Be there in thirty,” said the text, and oh! She wished he would.
Her mother looked a bit more pale than any person should.
In the car he felt the tires bump and slip and slide.
It would have been more fun, he thought, if it weren’t a desperate ride.
The ice played games against his tires and snow drifts blocked his path.
Yet the man continued through that blinding, wicked wrath.
He could not see a foot in front, no, he was driving blind.
This was a battle of the will, the body, and the mind.
Back at the cabin the lady prayed at her mother’s side.
She wished another for her dear brother as she wept and cried.
Up the mountain road he came as the river fell below,
It would have been a gorgeous view if not for sheets of snow.
A rock, a bump, a gravel crunch beneath the wheels!
Yet he drove on into the snow to get his mother healed.
The raucous sound of the old truck as it climbed up the hill,
Hit the sister’s ears at once as she sat anxious still.
“Just wait!” She cried and rushed outside to see her brother,
For he had made it there at last with medication for their mother.
The storm still raged all round the tiny cabin on the hill,
Wind and snow and flurries never ceased nor bent their will.
Yet inside there was joy, comfort, blankets, tea.
The siblings watched their mother heal with affection, tenderly.
Don't forget!
Please sign up for the BackerKit campaign emails, share the link to the launch preview, or forward this email to a friend who loves writing. Every little bit helps! Thank you so much!
Something I love right now
There are many gems in this world amongst my friends, and Billy Halibut is just one of them. From hilarious tales to visionary backdrops to prosaic poetry that plays in your head, Billy writes it all. He also draws it all! And performs in puppet shows, too! Follow Billy on Substack where you will get a regular dose of laughter, sincerity, and sweetness!
My World
I lost my maternal grandmother this week, more on her life and legacy soon. I am still grieving at this time. Unrelated, I also had two poems accepted to two different magazines, so more about that is coming too!
Wrap up
Thank you again for reading, and I shall email you again quite soon to share the outcome of my game development and writing in the Global Game Jam this weekend.
Much love to you all,
Coco