life interupted

January, 12, 2010, a major earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
causing immense death and destruction. Other news the same
week contained the usual reports of suicide bombers and drone
bombings.]

Life Interrupted

Earth shaking
  bricks raining
    hearts retching
Piles and piles
  of stones
    once homes,
Lives crumbling.

Children crying,
  injured, dying,
    wailing … wailing
Mothers frenzied,
  calling … calling
    searching, screaming.
Fathers missing.

Fires without fighters,
sewers running wild,
water polluted,
no food,
no milk,
no medicine
nowhere to turn.

Then looters, gangs
  scavengers;
    prowling, prowling
soldiers coming,
  bulldozing bodies:
    the mass graves … graves …

Are not earthquakes
 enough?
Must we also
  bomb one another?

-- Doug Behm 1/15/10