The Aftermath

So much have been seen
A lot have been said...
But the best in people comes out
Whenever people see fellowmen....
suffering and in pain.



*

I was out of the country when the disaster struck.
I was taken aback when I saw the screen feature the slow-mo
video clip of the tsunami rolling on the fields:
giant waves unabated....
as it gulped everything in its path.




*




I rushed to the phone and asked for GP.
He`s old, by any standards...
but this one seems to go stronger as the days grow old.
He is a bull incarnate and he growled at me
when he heard my voice.



*


As the days pass by, detailed news began to pour.
Earthquakes are part of life hereabouts.
But the tsunami?
And a nuclear reactor bursting?
Uh-uh....



*



Triple disaster, indeed!
And the weather at that time of the year!
The people up north must be a stronger breed.
I would be shivering at a mere gust of the wind.



*





GP gave me a list as soon as I arrived.
It is the list of people who gave what little they have left.
Times are already hard, even in this place.....
and we didn`t expect much.



*


I heard Ichiro [my beloved!] gave a billion yen to aid the refugees.
Ryo Ishikawa doubled what Ichiro gave.
More people, celebs and otherwise gave.
Our small group still collects....
for more!


*


I do not ask God why these things happen.
There must be reasons why....and I dare not delve into that.
I just pray that God in His goodness shelter the weak;
These people are a hard-working lot.
They have had more than enough of their quota for suffering.


*


I pray, too that Japan rise again from the ashes of ruin....
The same way they did, after the last world war.
Please give the country strength to
be able to withstand everything...