Tsunami (poem)

Tsunami

I have a picture of my son
taken on Christmas Eve
(cherished and very tattered now).
He is standing knee deep
in the surf

at

Phuket

Flush with joy and from
the beer he holds in mock toast
to the camera.
A small Canadian flag, on a white stick,
(why I still remember the fine details
I don’t know) waves toy-like
from his other hand
as the sun slowly sets over paradise.

***
Below mighty tectonic forces
flex their mantled muscles
as a massive crustal plate
drops 20 metres

displacing

A billion tons of seawater…

A little boy walks a sandy beach
idles,
he picks up an oddity.
Is it shell or beach glass?
Jet-lagged listless sunbathers
watch with mild curiosity
As the surf rapidly recedes below
low tide mark.

Missing persons,
frantic phone calls,
no answers,
too much
Silence.
A sick fear of not knowing.
Tears in a Father’s eyes

Then…

An e-mail

“Hey Dad caught a flight out to Laos…
I didn’t even read the rest.

mr