Lenoir resident shares poem she wrote about western NC and Helene entitled “Prayer for Western North Cackalacky”

LENOIR, NC (October 8, 2024) ⇒ Lenoir resident Laura Sedlacek shares poem she wrote about western NC and Helene.

Prayer for Western North Cackalacky by LB Sedlacek

Chimney Rock.

Gone.

(Last of the Mohicans)

Lake Lure.

Gone.

(Dirty Dancing)

Marshall, Black Mountain, Weaverville, Leicester, Swanannoa, Little Switzerland, Spruce Pine, Asheville, and so many more.

The winds.

The rain.

The rivers.

The lakes.

WATER!

Helene you came and went.

You devastated.

You decimated.

No power, no phones, no internet,

NO water.

NO WATER!

The water overflowing

rivers cresting.

We band together

in the face

of devastation.

Neighbor helping neighbor.

Supplies trucked in.

Meals horse backed in.

Gas scare, food too.

Forget prescriptions.

We band together

sharing information

listening to the radio

while checking on strangers

and loved ones alike.

We will survive

like the long leaf pine,

the cotton bloom,

the scuppernong,

soft southern moss,

rhododendrons,

the cardinal, and

the dogwood tree.

We are the Land of the Sky

soaring above Mt. Mitchell.

We are true friends and

warm hearts.

We are the Tarheel state.

And we are

North Cackalacky strong!

#NorthCarolinaStrong

#lbsedlacekpoet

#NorthCarolina

#HurricaneHelene

LB Sedlacek’s Facebook Page

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