The Ground Shook: Poem by Gwendoline Mardell

The ground shock and trembled on 22 February 2011,
Lives were lost, people were buried and some were never found,
The ground shook worst than ever, dust, liquidfaction and people ran with fright, t,
Not knowing what to expect with the next shake and the darkness of the night,
Buildings collapsed, roads widened, fields disappeared and the ground shok.

No power for days and someplaces weeks,
No water to drink, no food to eat, not knowing when this would stop,
The Fire, the Police and the Army all moved in to help and assist,
The wounded, the lost, the dead and nothing said,
The sadness, hurt, pain and distruction,
Was only the beginning of this horrorific time.

The dust from the falling debri, from buildings which are now long gone,
Sirens so loud you forget they are there as this will go on for a long time,
The screams, the cries, dust upon their faces,
Dust clouds in many a places,
Peoples homes, businesess gone and taken by the earth that was shaken.

WE remember all the ones who were lost inside or under a building,
Some were found, not always good news but their families could now greive,
Such pain and devastion Christchurch was going through and still is,
But lives are starting back to normality, families renited,
Our eyes have a new look in life and are always prepared for more quakes.

THe ground shook and to this day still does,
Our lives are getting on with things that must be done,
Our city will never be the same but it will be stronger,
We stand tall and strong and those tears we can not stop,
Many families, people, friends, neighbours are stronger and more closer,
We as a country came together and our city of Christchurch is forever.

The ground shook and always will but it might stop one day,
All our lives have changed, our children understand, our grandparents do to,
We pray to our father in Heaven more often than we use do,
Our prayers are answered but for some they take longer for God to hear.

The ground hasn't shaken for a while,
That's something worth a great big smile.