North Carolina Poem by Erin Cowart

Yesterday there was an earthquake in North Carolina
Some things were knocked off the shelves
And broken

Ceilings caving in
And the whole world wondered
Because earthquakes never happen in North Carolina

I laughed out loud when it occurred to me that
I am North Carolina
Bits and pieces being knocked from my shelves

Unexpected shaking
At the most inopportune time
In a place that never shakes

Turns out that even the most sturdy
Of places
Needs to fall to pieces sometimes