Tremblement de Terre (Earthquake)

Sun has burnt my skin
And stung my eyes.
Wind has made me turn my back
Wrap my coat around me close,
Heed the warning of the trees
And flapping flags.
Cold has hunched my shoulders
Pocketed my hands
Frozen my breath.
Water has swallowed me:
Hope has come and pulled me out
To stand on dry land.
Cyclones have come
Pummelled my house
Lifted shingles, toppled tanks
Turned roads into mud and flood.
Made me pray
For folks in humble dwellings.
These were hardly unexpected,
Even ordinary, struck sideways,
At eye level.
But on the day the Earth beneath my feet
Failed me –
Nor I nor anyone could save me –
Only God.
That day' guaranteed
When my time comes
I shall recognize
The approach of Death –
When things fall apart.

Mary Alban Bouchard
Haiti: January 12, 2010