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Forty years ago today – May 18th, 1980 – Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington State, killing 57 people, including one of my dearest friends, her husband, and her two young children. Most of those who died were camping in the supposed “safe zone” around the mountain. No one imagined that the volcano would explode sideways to the north, ending the lives of those who thought they weren’t in danger. (100 miles away in the Seattle area we heard two explosions, like sonic booms.)
Barb was always full of laughter, always saw the funny side of life. The poem below was written shortly after her death. (This is a re-post.)
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Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980
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(In memory of Barbara Pierce Morris Seibold, 1947 – 1980)
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You laughed above the heads
of those who couldn’t see
your wings,
but those of us with vision
always flew along with you.
Even in the rain
you’d soar above the mud
with a smile and a wink.
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But just this once
your takeoff was too slow —
St. Helens grabbed you
in her smoky claws
and with one spicy belch
she burned your wings away….
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I found a bird
the cat brought in,
buried it
in forget-me-nots,
then heard your laughter
rise from the dust
and fly
to the curlicue clouds.
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(c)1980, 2020 Betty Hayes Albright
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Seasonings 