Shriveled Faith



A dirge plays
on rusted chains
in a city of abandonment.

Disaster came one April
on a radioactive wind
discounted by airborne lies.

Cement skeletons line
vacant streets paved
with the echoes of ghosts.

Through the night
dreams walk with shriveled faith
hope will ever call this home.
  

©Susie Clevenger 2014

At Real Toads Izy asked us to write about a location we would never want to travel to. I chose the city of Pripyat which was evacuated after the catastrophic nuclear disaster at Chernobyl on April 26, 1986.

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Comments

Vandana Sharma said…
A very heart felt dedication and remembrance .may there be peace.
January 20, 2014 at 12:45 AM
Susan said…
Such a ghost town,with shriveled hope--well put. Tragic,as your tone captures.
January 20, 2014 at 1:29 AM
blueoran said…
I think it's really important to visit these worst places, because we as a culture prefer to keep death's visage buried -- a face that if we kept better in view, we might be less inclined to repeat old sins. Anyway, you nailed the cold gray harrows of Chernobyl.
January 20, 2014 at 3:44 AM
Karen said…
Love "dreams walk with shriveled faith." wouldn't it be lovely to be able to have faith in our leaders?

Shriveled, deformed, finally dead.

Well done, Susie!
January 20, 2014 at 5:39 AM
humbird said…
Thank you for choosing the theme...my respect...know, been not so far.....tragedy with consequences.xx
January 20, 2014 at 7:10 AM
Unknown said…
Wow! Very creepy place! I can't even believe you. You definitely got the lonely feel and the abandonment.
January 20, 2014 at 8:27 AM
hedgewitch said…
You capture the emptiness, the sense of plague passing the door, perfectly here, Susie. A dreadful place, a horrific lesson.
January 20, 2014 at 10:01 AM
Kerry O'Connor said…
Excellent choice of worst ever location! Your poem creates a real sense of how haunted the empty streets and buildings must be.
January 20, 2014 at 10:54 AM
Kathryn Dyche said…
Cement skeletons, echoes of ghosts, great lines that have such weight.
January 20, 2014 at 11:10 AM
Sherry Blue Sky said…
Oh Susie, what a good topic to bring to our attention, so we dont forget. I remember that disaster. The images are heartbreaking, the one of the dog did me in.........a dirge indeed, and a fitting one. We likely dont know the half of the after effects, unless we dig. Glad you noted the "airborne lies" that tried to cover up the extent of the catastrophe. Your last line is so powerful. A fantastic post.
January 20, 2014 at 12:24 PM
revelations said…
very powerful and visual... I could picture everything .. great poem ....
January 20, 2014 at 4:16 PM
Pealogic said…
I think we'd all age on your choice here. Great writing.
January 21, 2014 at 1:40 AM
kaykuala said…
Remembered that. It was a human disaster that it did not recover from! Eerie! Nicely Susie!

Hank
January 21, 2014 at 9:27 AM
steph said…
Wow, nicely done.. that 3rd stanza in particular. Believe it or not I'd actually like to see it. I watched a Tony Bourdain episode where he trudges through the area. Something about the wasteland that appeals to me. I probably shouldn't admit that. :)
January 21, 2014 at 12:40 PM
Unknown said…
Your words bring to life that which has died. Well done, Susie.
January 21, 2014 at 2:00 PM
KC said…
Well done. I am very curious about your place. I sometimes wonder if it's haunted. :)

Great poem. <3
January 21, 2014 at 3:59 PM
Ella said…
A sad descent that haunts-as it should...so many innocent lives lost-a well penned tribute!
January 21, 2014 at 5:33 PM
Laura said…
your last line just broke my heart… such tragedy, so respectfully penned.
January 21, 2014 at 5:50 PM
Unknown said…
I wasn't sure where we were going (or not going) until I read your footnote. I did know I didn't want to go there!

'84 was my grad year and Chernobyl was on the first global crisis's I remember really caring about. Excellent choice for this prompt.

Well done.
January 21, 2014 at 8:41 PM
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