Monday, April 06, 2009

six point three

at 3:32 a.m. my dreams included
the bed moving
then noise
from above and the floor below

i opened my eyes to see
the hanging lamp swinging
and swinging

epicenter was
fifty miles away
having lived in California
we were experienced to know
a strong earthquake

follow up report, 9pm

30,000 are homeless.
light rain tonight.
150 dead. 250 missing.
1,500 injured.
all counts will rise.
water supplies have been cut.

2 comments:

Julie said...

I was so sad to read about the earthquake in Italy.

This poem is very powerful and describes those feelings perfectly.

Your last stanza with the succinct lines and facts is like a punch in the gut. Excellent work.

Annie said...

I just read an article about the quake. I'm glad you and your wife are okay, and I hope no one you know is directly affected. I've been through hurricanes and the aftermath, but never an earthquake.