Broken limbs scattered
White marrow of a tree
Wood and stone shattered
Bird nests in the debris.
Clumps of homes distended
Our fragile interiors exposed
Sudden silence descended
Moist windless calm imposed.
Ethereal green glow lingers
No songbirds sing with delight
Branches hang like dead men
Alone in the somber light.
In the sorrow of the moment
Our broken spirits mourn
My reflection in a puddle
Future burdens to be borne.
With quiet determination
Lifting one brick at a time
Buried beneath the rubble
The living and dead still lie.