Tsunami Poem by Rod M.Peters
Tsunami
No tale that tells of the innocents' death
Should be spoken in other than faint whispers.
Of unblemished porcelain figurines in school shorts
And quaint little jackets with embroidered blazons
Smashed one spring morning by a dark wave
Coming out of an angry sea,
None should make boisterous recitations.
When breaks the motherly earth
In long jagged wounds through which
Gush forth the dark waters of the abyss
And manhole lids are pushed open from underneath
By the thick slush of unforgiving Nature,
Hope hangs by a thread.
A tale that will tell
Of the voice of the shy little boy crying
‘Run to the wooded hill, a wave is coming',
Being smothered by the loud yells of the schoolmaster
Urging the children to walk single file
Along the water's edge to the town hall,
Is best told in the faintest undertone,
And if full blossomed cherry trees are run over
On a sunny spring day, by the tides of Fate,
Leaving pieces of unblemished porcelain in its wake
That can never be put back together,
Though angry parents march to the courts
To demand justice,
Only a muttered prayer will ever, ever do.
Very thoughtful, Rod. A difficult subject well written.Your understated response to violent tragedy is very powerful.
Thank you Barry, I may change a couple of things but I'm glad you feel it has some merits even in the present form.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
4/16/2024 10:36:53 AM # 1.0.0.1119
bla·zon ˈblāz(ə) n/ verb 3rd person present: blazons 1. display prominently or vividly. they saw their company name blazoned all over the media synonyms: display, exhibit, present, spread, emblazon, plaster; More announce, proclaim their name is blazoned across the sails report (news) , especially in a sensational manner. accounts of their ordeal blazoned to the entire nation synonyms: display, exhibit, present, spread, emblazon, plaster; More announce, proclaim their name is blazoned across the sails 2. Heraldry describe or depict (armorial bearings) in a correct heraldic manner. inscribe or paint (an object) with arms or a name. nounHeraldry plural noun: blazons 1. a correct description of armorial bearings. archaic a coat of arms. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - No tale that tells of the innocent's death................probably meant to be innocents' I put is instead of his in one of my recent poems till someone told me about it! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hope hangs by a thread..............not only true, no doubt, but a nice alliteration as well! favorite stanza so far, nicely executed: A tale that will tell Of the voice of the shy little boy crying ‘Run to the wooded hill, a wave is coming', Being smothered by the loud yells of the schoolmaster Urging the children to walk single file Along the water's edge to the town hall, Is best told in the faintest undertone, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - and the last stanza is also 'priceless'. what sort of 'justice', i wonder, were parents seeking. hmm? thanks for the Poet's Notes! to MyPoemList. bri :) it seems i saw some video of the tsunami rolling into a town back then, carrying some buildings and vehicles with it, i think. Nature unleashed!
Great comments as always. I thought it could have gone both ways: 'innocent's death' or 'innocents' death'. I somehow favoured the singular in this case but on second thought, I may change it to plural. And 'blazons', yes, a bit archaic, perhaps 'embroidered badges' would have been better, though I have this strange preference for archaic expressions, no doubt reflecting my somewhat peculiar hatred of the 'modern' and passionate love for anything that's outdated, outmoded, etc. Did I mention that my personal hymn could very well be Living in the Past?