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Tsunami (revised)
by Bruce W Niedt
Spawned by a shudder on the Pacific floor,
waves radiate, like broadcast signals,
huge sinus waves of water,
sweeping all before them, a total destruction.
Hundreds or thousands of miles away,
thirty-foot walls crash in to decimate, plow away,
reclaim to sea with a gravitys undertow
cars, people, hotels, fishing boats and shacks,
with no regard to class or innocence.
What is washed away will be rebuilt.
Whoever is lost will be grieved.
Some bodies will return with the surf,
and some will not.
Tens of thousands are dead along the coasts
of several Asian countries, victims of
one of historys worst natural disasters.
But when the shockwaves reach us
here in our comfortable side of the world,
they are only a ripple,
and the local TV headlines
are a sports heros death
and an overnight dusting of snow.
12/28/2004 Author's Note: I combined two recent poems ("Tsunami" and "Stay Tuned for Your Local News") inspired by this tragedy into one, as I thought the two were a little redundant with each other. I think combining them made for a stronger single poem. What do you think?
Posted on 12/28/2004
Copyright © 2026 Bruce W Niedt
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Amanda Bullington on 12/29/04 at 05:46 AM I liked the last two stanzas, as they seemed to delve into the deeper meaning of the poem; the fact that so much is happening on the other side of the world and yet our side doesn't know or care too much about it. The rest of the poem seemed very factual and sort of forced though.. as if you manipulated the words instead of letting them flow naturally. I'd like it a lot better if the beginning shook my emotions as much as the last two stanzas did. |
| Posted by Maureen Glaude on 12/29/04 at 07:52 AM I find it very powerful this way. The other new announcement (many of us surmised but perhaps not the proportion of risk) is that the numbers of deaths from disease that will result, may reach as high as those from the initial causes of death ie drowning. |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 01/11/05 at 05:46 PM I agree with you Bruce. Good combination. Not one of your best, but I don't think my tsunami related poem is one of my best either, but both yours and mine carry important messages just the same; snapshots of history if you will. The second last stanza hits pretty close to home in that new seismic detection instruments were being tested in the Ottawa area when the earthquake hit on the other side of the world, sending ripples right through the middle of the earth and read here on the equipment. I've also heard that deep wells in Virginia experienced several minutes of fluctuating water level as a result of the same phenomena. |
| Posted by JD Clay on 01/23/05 at 05:34 PM This is a compassionate piece that reflects the tragedy in many ways, from eventual to emotional. My only suggestion, insignificant as it may seem, would be to invert the words, 'shacks' and 'boats' in the eighth line. Either way, nice composition, Bruce.
Pe4ce... |
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