After the Storm

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.