I held tight to my father’s leg
Trembling and uncertain
The night we came home
To find the roof in shambles
Droplets of water, cold and hard
Tore up the wooden floors

The door caved in
Water burst out, crashing
Into the driveway, rolling
And spinning, like a dirty secret;
Uncontainable. It surged crazily,
Drowning our furniture, clothes,
Books, pictures, memories

There you were, my favorite teddy bear
Warm and light, softer than the others
Stuck in the middle of the uncontrollable mayhem,
Bouncing along, as the stream took you,
Invading you and staking claim

You looked at me, helpless
But there was nothing I could do
Safe and dry, I watched you soak up
Too much, sinking slowly as the current
Roared, hungry and unsatisfied

You frantically struggled for breath
Flipping and squirming,
You fought on, but to no avail
And the chaos turned to silence
As you drifted quietly into the other room