The Neosho's Flood Time
by Avis Ludlum Knox
May had come as hush and quiet
Brooded on the little valley--
And the bright, new leaves and grasses
Silent were. No sight or whisper
5 Breathed along the placid river--
Flowing slowly, brown and muddy
In between its steep black levees
And with slow, serpentine movement
Crossed its bars of sand and gravel.
10 Not a ripple broke its surface,
As it crawled along--so quiet.
So submissive and so harmless
That its dangers seemed a story
And the lives that it had taken--
15 Seemed a myth--talked of in whispers.
Close and sultry to its ending
Drew the day. As darkness deepened
In the West the cloud banks darkened
Spread their menace to the Northwest--
20 Flung out swords of swift,
chain-lightning.
And came boiling--rolling--roaring
Swiftly on throughout the nightime
'Til at dawn it broke in fury
25 In a town, far up the river.
Down the water came--in torrents--
Filled the street and filled the gutters--
'Til the streets and roads and sidewalks
Ran with knee deep--surging rivers.
30 Then the river, waked and roaring
Leapt out o'er its banks and levees
Slowly rose and filled the lowlands--
Higher--higher--deeper --louder--
Surged down through the helpless city,
35 Through its shops and thru it houses.
Sending people to the house tops--
To the tree tops--panic stricken
Seeking safety from its clutches.
Thus it slipped with stealth and quiet
40 To our peaceful little valley
Small and quiet was it rising
So that no one saw its menace
'Til at dawn it roared and tumbled
Bank full. On its whirling bosom
45 Floated trunks of trees, uprooted
By the river's mighty tugging.
Then we stood and watched its rising
Helpless quite, to stay its fury
While its whirling, clay-red current
50 Seemed to mock and taunt and jeer us
With its million little voices
Like a million lashing devils
With their grasping, muddy fingers
Tried to grasp our fields and orchards.
55 Tried to wrest our black land from us.
Then the rain came. Falling softly
For two days, and two long nightimes.
'Til the sluices and brooks and road drains
Were small creeks and creeks were rivers.
60 Twisted, muddy, shallow Mud Creek
Was a foaming, yellow torrent,
Roaring thru the field of kaffir,
Thru the corn and thru the meadow
Sweeping thru its twisted channel
65 To the broad and level meadow
Where it spread its broiling current
O'er the lush green meadow grasses--
Spread and lay in pleasing quiet
All its rage a placid mirror.
by Avis Ludlum Knox
May had come as hush and quiet
Brooded on the little valley--
And the bright, new leaves and grasses
Silent were. No sight or whisper
5 Breathed along the placid river--
Flowing slowly, brown and muddy
In between its steep black levees
And with slow, serpentine movement
Crossed its bars of sand and gravel.
10 Not a ripple broke its surface,
As it crawled along--so quiet.
So submissive and so harmless
That its dangers seemed a story
And the lives that it had taken--
15 Seemed a myth--talked of in whispers.
Close and sultry to its ending
Drew the day. As darkness deepened
In the West the cloud banks darkened
Spread their menace to the Northwest--
20 Flung out swords of swift,
chain-lightning.
And came boiling--rolling--roaring
Swiftly on throughout the nightime
'Til at dawn it broke in fury
25 In a town, far up the river.
Down the water came--in torrents--
Filled the street and filled the gutters--
'Til the streets and roads and sidewalks
Ran with knee deep--surging rivers.
30 Then the river, waked and roaring
Leapt out o'er its banks and levees
Slowly rose and filled the lowlands--
Higher--higher--deeper --louder--
Surged down through the helpless city,
35 Through its shops and thru it houses.
Sending people to the house tops--
To the tree tops--panic stricken
Seeking safety from its clutches.
Thus it slipped with stealth and quiet
40 To our peaceful little valley
Small and quiet was it rising
So that no one saw its menace
'Til at dawn it roared and tumbled
Bank full. On its whirling bosom
45 Floated trunks of trees, uprooted
By the river's mighty tugging.
Then we stood and watched its rising
Helpless quite, to stay its fury
While its whirling, clay-red current
50 Seemed to mock and taunt and jeer us
With its million little voices
Like a million lashing devils
With their grasping, muddy fingers
Tried to grasp our fields and orchards.
55 Tried to wrest our black land from us.
Then the rain came. Falling softly
For two days, and two long nightimes.
'Til the sluices and brooks and road drains
Were small creeks and creeks were rivers.
60 Twisted, muddy, shallow Mud Creek
Was a foaming, yellow torrent,
Roaring thru the field of kaffir,
Thru the corn and thru the meadow
Sweeping thru its twisted channel
65 To the broad and level meadow
Where it spread its broiling current
O'er the lush green meadow grasses--
Spread and lay in pleasing quiet
All its rage a placid mirror.
The Neosho's Flood Time
by Avis Ludlum Knox
May had come as hush and quiet
Brooded on the little valley--
And the bright, new leaves and grasses
Silent were. No sight or whisper
5 Breathed along the placid river--
Flowing slowly, brown and muddy
In between its steep black levees
And with slow, serpentine movement
Crossed its bars of sand and gravel.
10 Not a ripple broke its surface,
As it crawled along--so quiet.
So submissive and so harmless
That its dangers seemed a story
And the lives that it had taken--
15 Seemed a myth--talked of in whispers.
Close and sultry to its ending
Drew the day. As darkness deepened
In the West the cloud banks darkened
Spread their menace to the Northwest--
20 Flung out swords of swift,
chain-lightning.
And came boiling--rolling--roaring
Swiftly on throughout the nightime
'Til at dawn it broke in fury
25 In a town, far up the river.
Down the water came--in torrents--
Filled the street and filled the gutters--
'Til the streets and roads and sidewalks
Ran with knee deep--surging rivers.
30 Then the river, waked and roaring
Leapt out o'er its banks and levees
Slowly rose and filled the lowlands--
Higher--higher--deeper --louder--
Surged down through the helpless city,
35 Through its shops and thru it houses.
Sending people to the house tops--
To the tree tops--panic stricken
Seeking safety from its clutches.
Thus it slipped with stealth and quiet
40 To our peaceful little valley
Small and quiet was it rising
So that no one saw its menace
'Til at dawn it roared and tumbled
Bank full. On its whirling bosom
45 Floated trunks of trees, uprooted
By the river's mighty tugging.
Then we stood and watched its rising
Helpless quite, to stay its fury
While its whirling, clay-red current
50 Seemed to mock and taunt and jeer us
With its million little voices
Like a million lashing devils
With their grasping, muddy fingers
Tried to grasp our fields and orchards.
55 Tried to wrest our black land from us.
Then the rain came. Falling softly
For two days, and two long nightimes.
'Til the sluices and brooks and road drains
Were small creeks and creeks were rivers.
60 Twisted, muddy, shallow Mud Creek
Was a foaming, yellow torrent,
Roaring thru the field of kaffir,
Thru the corn and thru the meadow
Sweeping thru its twisted channel
65 To the broad and level meadow
Where it spread its broiling current
O'er the lush green meadow grasses--
Spread and lay in pleasing quiet
All its rage a placid mirror.
by Avis Ludlum Knox
May had come as hush and quiet
Brooded on the little valley--
And the bright, new leaves and grasses
Silent were. No sight or whisper
5 Breathed along the placid river--
Flowing slowly, brown and muddy
In between its steep black levees
And with slow, serpentine movement
Crossed its bars of sand and gravel.
10 Not a ripple broke its surface,
As it crawled along--so quiet.
So submissive and so harmless
That its dangers seemed a story
And the lives that it had taken--
15 Seemed a myth--talked of in whispers.
Close and sultry to its ending
Drew the day. As darkness deepened
In the West the cloud banks darkened
Spread their menace to the Northwest--
20 Flung out swords of swift,
chain-lightning.
And came boiling--rolling--roaring
Swiftly on throughout the nightime
'Til at dawn it broke in fury
25 In a town, far up the river.
Down the water came--in torrents--
Filled the street and filled the gutters--
'Til the streets and roads and sidewalks
Ran with knee deep--surging rivers.
30 Then the river, waked and roaring
Leapt out o'er its banks and levees
Slowly rose and filled the lowlands--
Higher--higher--deeper --louder--
Surged down through the helpless city,
35 Through its shops and thru it houses.
Sending people to the house tops--
To the tree tops--panic stricken
Seeking safety from its clutches.
Thus it slipped with stealth and quiet
40 To our peaceful little valley
Small and quiet was it rising
So that no one saw its menace
'Til at dawn it roared and tumbled
Bank full. On its whirling bosom
45 Floated trunks of trees, uprooted
By the river's mighty tugging.
Then we stood and watched its rising
Helpless quite, to stay its fury
While its whirling, clay-red current
50 Seemed to mock and taunt and jeer us
With its million little voices
Like a million lashing devils
With their grasping, muddy fingers
Tried to grasp our fields and orchards.
55 Tried to wrest our black land from us.
Then the rain came. Falling softly
For two days, and two long nightimes.
'Til the sluices and brooks and road drains
Were small creeks and creeks were rivers.
60 Twisted, muddy, shallow Mud Creek
Was a foaming, yellow torrent,
Roaring thru the field of kaffir,
Thru the corn and thru the meadow
Sweeping thru its twisted channel
65 To the broad and level meadow
Where it spread its broiling current
O'er the lush green meadow grasses--
Spread and lay in pleasing quiet
All its rage a placid mirror.
Gravesite Details
Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery overlooks San Diego and San Diego Bay.
