The Inn has a rustic feel yet provides amenities that non-campers like us require: a good bed, nice bathroom, and a hearty breakfast. We took the dinner cruise on the Spirit of Brownville, which gave us a glimpse of the changes brought by the flooding. We talked with other passengers and crew, and heard about the struggles the people of Brownville have faced.
The next morning as the sun rose over the east bank, I sat on the deck watching the birds. I thought about the dredge upstream that was almost washed away, and the effort it took to save. This poem is a result of those quiet moments alone.
"A Year After the Flood"
By Janet Sobczyk, 2020
Fresh foliage creeps over eroded banks
wild sunflowers bloom as if nothing happened
but the trees bear scars
tangled drifted debris whispers the tale.
The Captain Meriwether Lewis Dredge Museum
floats secure in its dry-docked moat
imagine the struggle by tugs, chains, men
working 16-hour days to contain it in high water.
It rose, bucking to break free of moorings
they held on with all their might
restrained it from a rampage
prevented catastrophe downstream.
It rests silent and sullen in its defeat, bested this time
a little worse for wear, but not broken
peers from its perch above the now-lazy river
calls me back to watch the sunrise with it again.
As swallows dart and eagles soar
mist rises from the ever-flowing surface
sun’s rays shoo wisps away
ushers in a clear day
washes the dredge in light
its twin smokestacks stand tall
white decks await tourists
kept away by Covid and a damaged road.
The town waits, too
it survives as Midwest people tend to do
shops closed for now
but restaurant still serves, so does the bar.
There’s hope as a new store opens
a sign of growth in a small town
that understands the damage a river can do
while it sustains life, too.
This poem is dedicated to the people of Brownville,
with gratitude for your hospitality and
admiration for your fortitude.
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