Teddy and the Tornado
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Teddy, a local dog who survived the Equality tornado and is waiting for his family’s return. Photo by Sharon Coffman
Poem by Sharon Coffman
The tornado snatched our roofs and doors,
Shattered windows and splintered floors.
Ripped our memories out of our hands,
Left our trees in twisted bands.
It lifted our homes as we huddled and prayed,
Then slammed it all down so far away.
We screamed as the monster tried to take our lives.
Broken and desperate, we cried out why.
God saw us and heard us and worked His plan.
He touched people’s hearts to lend a hand.
Our volunteer firemen heard the call,
And rushed to our rescue, heroes all!
Folks came first with chili and pots of stew,
Then bread and meat and casseroles, too.
They fed our folks who were hurting and scared,
And bowed their heads in determined prayers.
Teddy the dog, who survived the storm,
Watched and waited for his family to come home.
More and more the neighbors came,
With much needed items to help our pain.
They brought tarps and wood to cover roofs,
Cleaners, buckets and even tools.
They gathered and worked, young and old
And hugged and cried as our stories were told.
Teddy the dog, who survived the storm, still watched and waited for his family to come home.
People spread the word far and wide
We needed help to pick up our lives.
Men brought chainsaws and trailers and sweat
And big machines that grabbed at the mess.
They plowed through the trees and the muck and the mud
To let light in our eyes
And hope in our blood.
They came from Huntsville, Dothan, Auburn, Mobile,
Birmingham, Montgomery, Eclectic, and Camp Hill
And tho they had their own disaster and pain
A church in Selma loaded supplies and came!
There were teachers and nurses and judges with hats
Engineers and students and mamas and dads
Gray hair and no hair and skin light and dark
Shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart.
Who stopped their lives for the recovery
Of a little place called…
Equality.
And Teddy the dog, who survived the storm, still watches and waits, for his family to come home.
Disclaimer: Teddy the dog is a real dog whose home was damaged during the January 12 tornado, and his owners have been displaced since then. However, Teddy is not neglected, as his family comes back every day to feed and love on him while they wait for repairs. Like his family, Teddy watches and waits for the day they can return home for good.