A poem, created from text snippets taken out of a National Geographic article on tsunamis.

~
~~
~~~

The Calm Before the Wave

as the sea pulls away from the coast
We thought we would be safe
defenses have improved tremendously
false sense of security

the uncertainty in that forecast seemed high too
That policy blunder had tragic consequences
there is no high ground

It absolves long-dormant faults around the world
these very unlikely but very consequential events

triggered by the cataclysmic eruption
it released the energy
blends the horrific and the miraculous
crush or sweep away everything in its path

The waves kept coming all night long
There are no escape routes
people died that day

When the ground finally stopped heaving
It helped demolish the complacent optimism of the day

In the wake of that unprecedented disaster
in the landscape of debris
the tragedy had a lasting impact on Western thought
that no longer exists

everyone in the city can tell a story of survival and loss
Sometimes I can’t sleep at night
I can still hear people screaming

~~~
~~
~