On Shaky Ground

02/08/2020 -  Poem a Day Compilation



I was sitting at my desk

When I felt a strange sensation.

It was almost imperceptible

But I could have sworn

On my dead father’s grave

That the floor shook,

Just a little and just for a bit.

I looked around

But no one else seemed to notice.

Maybe I’d imagined it

Though it’d felt quite real.



A little while later

It could not be mistaken,

The windows rattled for a second

And everyone looked up

Thinking something must have flown

Directly into the windows

But it came from all directions.

And just as everyone turned away

The windows began to vibrate

And several picture frames

Filled with photos of loved ones

Sitting on people’s desks

Toppled over without warning.



The looks on people’s faces

Ranged from the quizzical

To the downright scared.

We all agreed it had been an earthquake

But no one could say where it was exactly.

The news was no help,

With merely unconfirmed reports

From all over the city.



As we stood around,

Wondering what to do,

We were nearly knocked off our feet

By a large jolt.

The curtains swayed

Despite the closed windows

And several people let out gasps

As they grabbed their desks to steady themselves.



We all ran for door frames

To brace ourselves with

Or hid under desks

That would provide little protection

If the ceiling came down upon us,

As the shaking and rolling continued

For some minutes.



Then it was silent.

No birds chirped.

We emerged from our places

Of relative safety

To investigate any damage.

Too soon,

as we discovered a moment later,

When the next jolt hit,

Stronger than before

As if it were getting closer.



The disturbed papers

And fallen plants and pictures

Were the least of our worries

As the ripples came,

Wave after wave

With barely any time between some

And we took those still seconds

To run to the street

Where others from the surrounding buildings

Had also gathered.



Many sat in the middle of the road

Unable to remain upright

As car alarms sounded from every direction,

Set off by each successive wave.

Huge light posts swayed

And a tree up the road was uprooted.



We could hear sirens a few streets away,

Wailing above the cacophony

Of fire alarms and dogs barking,

Tearing off away from us

To help those more in need

Than we few shaken souls

Standing in the cold street

Trying to make sense of what had happened

And what to do next.