Guadalupe River
Our Lady of Guadalupe
mourns as she remembers the day
she cried tears like precious gems
when so many young girls were lost
as murky flood waters
overtook cabins on the river’s edge,
torrents of rain, tangles of debris,
stuffed animals saturated in memory,
special blankets flying like flags on branches
of broken trees along the river.
She cradles her babies,
now crying tears to wash away the pain.
Trumpets echo the grace of angels.
(July 4, 2025, 28 girls from Camp Mystic in Central Texas
lost their lives in flooding from the Guadalupe River)
5 thoughts on "Guadalupe River"
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You capture the sadness perfectly. The poem’s pacing can feel rapid like the floodwaters and yet it elongates the tragic sadness.
”
stuffed animals saturated in memory,”
Oh, that line hit hard.
A well crafted poem. 💜
Virginia, a very powerful, sad, and true poem. It was such a horrible tragedy, and the pain will last for many years.
This was such a tregedy and you capture it so well. What hit me was
“special blankets flying like flags on branches
of broken trees along the river.”
You honor well the loss of these young girls.
This hurt to read “special blankets flying like flags on branches/of broken trees along the river.”
You have created such heartbreak with your words! A true honor to those lost!