There was a moment

There was a moment

When the world imploded

A cataclysm

Out of all proportion

To anything I had ever known

How did I respond

To the devastation

As it occurred

With equanimity

As the preferred choice

For some

Until the cracks begin to show

The rumble of an earthquake

Threatening to split

The surface in two

How did I measure up

Against the stoic

With the seismic shift

Of tectonic plates

Gradually rubbing each other

Up the wrong way

Until pressure is released

What did I do

As the ground moved

Beneath my feet

Did I grasp the nettle

Hold on tight to a lamp post

Claw my way to safety

On hands and knees

Cry like a baby

Into a pillow

Hide in a wardrobe

Crawl under a table

Bury my head in the sand

Until the gale

Blew itself out

Scream loudly

Into the wild wind

As the storm raged

Tearing at the walls

Threatening to bring

The whole house down

I did it all

Did a whole lot more

I did nothing

But something of

One thing or another

Which carried me through

To the other side

Of the great divide

Still waiting

Trying to understand

Why on earth

She died

Not me.