" The Great Hurricane of 38 "

It was the morning of September 21st
The year was 1938
Little did we realize
So many would soon meet their fate

Our small New England town
Set along our nation's north eastern shore
I remember a reddish purple sky that morning
A few older sailors warned what could lie in store

A gale or a nor'easter they warned
Saying it was surely headed our way
Many heeded their warning
While others ignored what they had to say

Some headed their fishing boats out to sea
While the ocean seemed so quiet and still
Few had even noticed
The air now carried an eerie chill

Some of our neighbors headed inland
While many others chose to stay
Some sought refuge in the church
Where I'm sure they knelt to pray

Our family gathered at my grand parents house
Grandpa had built their home to last
Constructed of cement and stone
Standing strong through gales in the past

Their home set well back from the ocean
On ground that was higher than most
But this storm would prove enormous
And it was about to hit our coast

We lashed down Grandma's shutters
Quickly gathering up supplies
Savage winds were soon wreaking havoc
Causing the sea to churn and rise

Lightning flashed in the distance
Suddenly the rains began to fall
Grandma's chicken coop was ripped to pieces
Then vanished into the squall

Boats were torn from their moorings
Then thrown upon the shore
Great waves were crashing on the beach
Their surge coming ever closer to our door

We watched as the homes on lower ground
Were swallowed and torn apart
Timbers in our roof began to crack
Sending fear into our hearts

We barricaded the doors and windows
Then we felt the house begin to shudder
Grandma's home was built strong
But this storm's fury was like no other

Thunder shook the floor and walls
Winds howled like I had never heard before
Crashing waves soon reached our home
As water surged from under the door

We hurried to the rear of the house
We knew we had to go
Grandpa tied a rope around our waist
Just to keep us all in tow

The winds and the rain were blinding
The numbing cold felt like icy sleet
At times knee deep in water
We could barely stay on our feet

There were trees and debris in the water
The raging surf had swallowed the beach
The wind and the surf together
Were destroying everything within their reach

I turned back for one last look
My Grandparent's home was still standing strong
But as great waves crashed against it
I knew it wouldn't last very long

Still it had shielded our retreat
While many others were swept out to sea
We made our way to the old church
But it was now a shamble of debris

We passed automobiles that were crushed
Countless trees that were up rooted and tossed
If Grandpa hadn't led us to an old abandoned barn
Our lives would have surely been lost

Shielded by large sand dunes
The old barn had somehow survived
And before the night was over
Others like ourselves arrived

Driven from their homes
They had no where else to stay
At times that barn seemed more like a church
With so many bowing their heads to pray

We were beaten down and exhausted
And I'm sure this sounds a little odd
But there was a warmth in that old barn
You can only find in God

I know Grandpa blamed himself
For waiting so long to leave
But the speed and power of that storm
Was something no man could conceive

When that great storm finally lifted
And the clouds parted overhead
We couldn't believe the total devastation
Or the hundreds they said were dead

The entire eastern seaboard
Had been hammered like never before
Nearly everything was destroyed
Along our coastal shore

Some claimed we were just plain foolish
Others said, we're iron willed
But we New Englanders are a stubborn lot
We chose to stay and rebuild

And when my Grandpa rebuilt their home
He built it with lumber from wooden debris
Only this time Grandma insisted
Their house set back farther from the sea

If I learned anything from that deadly storm
It's that no matter what might lie in store
Through faith in a loving God
The human spirit can endure

Still, nature can be an awesome unstoppable force
But even nature could not determine our fate
As " Faith " proved stronger
Than even, The Great Hurricane of 1938.

Robert Pledger©
3/10/2010