Poetry Piece
Poetry piece co-created with Eglinton communityThis poem represents three key voices in a flood event the community members directly impacted, the unaware community members and the river itself.
I felt the clouds gathering, before I saw them.
Floating in space, on a tether to what?
The sun rose red with no warning given.
The sky goes dark, before I saw it.
Swirling from the centre of the milky way gathering momentum.
People moving unaware of what’s to come.
The storm gathered outside while I busied myself inside.
Carried by a powerful energy from an unknown force, to where?
Gentle breeze calmed to a still.
It started with raindrops dancing happily in the yard.
Its deep dark centre swirling me out into more intense butbrighter colours,
The raindrops fell, and fell, and fell.
A welcome break in the tension of the atmosphere.
Gaining momentum, speeding up intensely, then
When would they stop?
How long did it take before I noticed the warm air cool,
and the drops becoming sheets of grey?
Slowing down into calmer colours of blues, lighter and lighter.
Swirling, racing black water.
When did the ‘noticing’ begin because I was warm and safe
and how, could the storm affect me?
Ican see white, but I can not touch it but my tether isn’t the
reason.
Overpowered defences, homes, families.
A bolt of thunder and a flash of lightening caught my eye,
Diversion only for a moment as the TV was on, and I was
engaged elsewhere. Watching helplessly into the distance –
Chaos ensued in the community.
The water was rising and it was staying.
Almost waiting for another force to carry me / get me there!
It stopped. But it didn’t.
A novelty only for us as it hadn’t reached our steps. Help came.
But didn’t. Trauma resides
The poem ends with a powerful all to action onclimate resilience.
Flood risk is not being addressed fully in
Northern Ireland.
The lower level of quality evidence available,
relatively limited climate related policy in
force
increases the uncertainty around future
climate impacts. The dominant source of flooding.
Low profile buildings plays second to the
natural environment.
Planning policies are dated and not reflective
of current trends and experiences.I
t is orange and juicy and sweet.
There is no more time left. It is not our sidea
nymore. I wish someone would listen and value our
lived experience as equally as an ‘experts opinion’.
We have become experts.
Iam overcome and overwhelmed.I wish someone would listen and value our lived experience as equally as an ‘experts opinion’.
We have become experts.