The ground shakes
Rattles
Splits
Houses crumble
People gone

Souls rise
To the heavens
As others
Wait to pass
Belongings buried
Forever
But not as important
As life

The faint cries
Of babies
Screaming
To their lost parents

Dusty air
Filled with fear
Helicopters circle
But cannot land

A loving hand
Placed on a daughter’s shoulder
As she takes her last breath
And suddenly
The heavy roof
Does not feel so heavy

She looks down
From above
At the disaster
Cries for her mother
Who is beneath the roof
Prays for her brother
Who is just two
Whispers
“I love you”
To her first crush
Who never got to know that
A miracle happens
As her brother’s body
Is lifted
From the ground
By two strong hands
The hands
Of her father
A wonderful man
Who she never got to truly know

His body
Moves slowly
Showing a sign
Of life

A tear is shed
From above

And it begins to rain

Tears from the heavens
A miracle
Created

Sirens ring
And another set
Of hands
Picks up the two year olds body
This time
A fireman
Who cradles
The lone survivor

A young boy
Who will not remember anything
Except for the open door
To the dark world
Where he was
For a moment
And spared at the next

Five years later
He sits in his cousin’s house
Looking out the window
At the pouring rain
He tries to remember his family
He cannot

The only person he remembers
Is his sister
A loving girl
Who spared his life
By giving hers

Through the window
He can see
The memory
Of him and his sister
Dancing in the rain
Many years ago

He sheds a tear
And whispers
“I miss you”

He runs outside
And stares at the sky
He can see her
Although
She is not really there

He smiles
She smiles

The rain stops
The sun comes out
The clouds clear

A strong wind
Cascades
Through the African habitat
It seems
To be saying
“I will always be with you”

He understands
Walking slowly
Into the house
He collapses
Onto his bed
Falling into a wonderland of dreams