Gargoyle 37/38
Cover Photo of Louise Brooks
Published 1/1/1990

Tornado Survivor

Heather McHugh

“Me lord passed by and a great and strong wind
rent the mountain … but the lord was not in the wind…” Elijah

I said the people come inside.
They would be safe
in the building.
So many of those people die.
You can see my guilt.

I could see hands
to a lady moving.
I knew the lady.
You can see my guilt.

Sometimes I want to run, to get
away from it. I ask
forgiveness from
the cemetery. You
can see the cemetery.
I can never dream
this storm away.

It was over for maybe minutes
then it was never over.