Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Tuesday Poem: As the Earth Turns

For the victims of the Christchurch Earthquake 22-2-11

Wound so tight, of course it breaks
and in the breaking
the surface dissembles, and the innards –

coiled and clean, hidden, neat –
are wrenched –
exposed to callous air –

Oh, earth!

We cry bitterly into the brokenness
for there is no longer a place
for eyes to rest, no place

to put our feet.

We fall into the brokenness
we straddle the brokenness
we cradle the brokenness

we tip-toe on the brokenness
we weep into the brokenness
and the salt-water – as salt does –

scours or
rusts, depending - we don’t know
(might never know) we who fall,

who straddle, who cradle, who tip-toe,  who weep –

This at least for now: brokenness reminds
of the unbroken, and our hearts, our poor dumb ticking hearts,
are wound up still each night.



11 comments:

Claire Beynon said...

Oh Mary - tears, tears.

"This at least for now: brokenness reminds
of the unbroken, and our hearts, our poor dumb ticking hearts,
are wound up still each night."

Thank you for somehow finding words.
Bless you - Claire

Rapata said...

Thank-you Mary. The poem captures something that I still can't find the words to express.

Melissa Green said...

Mary, it's so moving, reverent and real and the keening clear and collective. Beautifully done. xo Melissa

Piokiwi said...

Thank you for finding the words, Mary.

AJ Ponder said...

Very sweet, had me moved to bleary eyes.

Catherine said...

Thank you, I am very fearful of their being lots of bad earthquake poetry around this year, but you seem to be able to tackle it with great sensitivity and beauty.

AJ Ponder said...

What Catherine said, great sensitivity and beauty, and although I too feared exploitative, not so good poetry, the Tuesday Poems this week seem very thoughtful, and beautiful, so thank-you Mary for all your hard work organising the Tuesday group.

Mary McCallum said...

Thank you all for your comments.

lillyanne said...

Mary, this is an astounding poem. You wrote another wonderful one last September, too. Thank you for this.

Mary McCallum said...

Thanks Belinda!

I realise the metaphor - the wind-up watch is one not many young people will get... but it works here and I'd hate to change it. Some poems just come rushing out like unexpected earthquakes - the thing about the 'brokenness' ...

KAT ADL'S said...

This felt such a true piece of writing , The room around me and inside felt silent and my heart thumped in response. As I read it, it connected me into the middle of peoples grief.
KAT