by Debra Orben
When the water comes rushing, gushing down,
Where will you be?
Stranded by the side of a flooded road with limited visibility
By the ocean’s edge witnessing the newest high tide
On a mountain top watching the hillside give way to landslide
In a clear-cut forest, seeing newly planted seedlings uprooted
In a homeless encampment without shelter from the pelting
In an old tired house whose roof leaks and windows creak
Standing amid ruins of your former refuge, now burned home
Or helpless as water rises higher, reaching beyond the first floor.
Place matters, we can all shelter from the coming storms
But not all in one place and not all places are safe
Some will survive, but left without anchoring memories
No sanctuary from the coming days of floods and fires
No arks or promising rainbows on the horizon.
If only we could build bridges high enough and connections
Deep enough to withstand our climate’s growing heat and fury.
If only we could make sure no one is left to drown
Before the next deluge comes trying to wash us all away.
Debra Orben is a retired elementary teacher and Quaker activist who cares deeply about the natural world and the future of all children. She is an aspiring poet whose poems have been published in several anthologies, including ICE Out by Moonstone Press and Pennsylvania Bards, Easter PA Poetry Review 2026 published by Local Gems Press.
