The Wind-Beast
Contributed by Anthony Irsik
Matanuska, Alaska’s daughter,
Looked on Valley and harbor,
And shifted the air above and below,
Summoning Uassiaq to go
The north wind answered with love and peace,
But Anger roared from the east,
They were Akutaq Uassiaq,
Which Anger poisoned to muck.
A beast was born of this mixing wind,
Hungering for Mat-Su’s children,
It rushed down the mountain’s face,
And howled at the human race.
It dove low then swirled up high,
Gnashing upon the powerlines,
Thrashing at trees, casting debris,
And screaming at the upward sea.
A quarter of the light was swiftly extinguished,
By the chill air it breathed,
Siphoning heat from everyone's homes,
Leaving them greatly exposed.
In response the valley called for heroes,
To fight in less than zero,
And answered they, the linemen few,
MEA’s only crew.
They stepped out in the monsters breath,
Enduring frozen death,
To face the beast that came to scourge,
The Valley of peaceful words.
They rose high to meet the foe,
That blew away the snow
Without glory but duty to fill
They set against the wind’s whirl
But sometime man cannot kill the beast,
So they repair and limit the disease,
Countering every blow that’s struck,
Till it ends by God or luck.
But for those who suffered without repair,
Whose light was dark and rare,
They sought shelter from monster harsh,
In homes of Glenn, then Menard.
After three days Northwind took hold,
Grasping the neck, cold,
Of Angry East that raged and roiled,
Taking him away from our soil.
We took the moment to rebuild and renew,
Our preparation for windstorm two,
We knew North couldn't hold East,
Akutak Uasiaq would un-cease
Five days North held strong,
Not forever long,
The weekend followed with raging storm,
East ruled once more.
Twice North took over and fled,
Above the mountains head
Twice more East returned,
The storm was not adjourned.
Finally Uaspataq stepped in,
He rebuked the wind,
And silence fell on the Valley, our home,
Where thankfulness grows.
But a warning I extend to thee,
Denizens of the Valley,
The Wind will mix again,
So let preparation be your friend