# 288: The Flood
Story behind the Passage
Yesterday when watching the news I had to cry.
My Learnings
Water rising,
No escape
Help coming from above —
If at all.
Noise and mud
Things drowning everywhere.
All hope is gone
Where disaster struck.
People running.
Neighbors screaming
Firemen drowning
in the flood.
Everything gone
All pictures
All letters
Small souvenirs
Big memories.
Television crews filming
Politicians sightseeing.
Asking questions
“How does it feel?”
What the fuck!
Can you SEE?
Everything lost
“Looks like war,”
Says a young man.
Remembering old pictures
Of cities being bombed
Of people dying in the street
No streets anymore
Only water
And lots of mud
Cars swimming by
Trees falling like straws
So many missing
More rain coming.
Where is grandma?
Where is the neighbor?
On vacation?
Gone forever?
No cell phone to call.
Only clothes left on your body
Who needs clothes?
The dog has survived
Horses running crazy.
What is left?
Anything unharmed?
The TV audience touched.
Or not?
Who is watching this?
Are people feeling with them?
Or just glad to be safe?
What can help?
Will insurances pay?
Who cares.
Shock and eyes wide open.
Hysterical laughter.
Exhausted cries.
Screaming comes later
First is stillness.
Seeing is not believing
It takes time to understand.
Nothing will be there
That was there yesterday.
We will rebuild it
We do it together.
Life goes on.
Really?
Reflection Questions
1) Did you ever experience a moment when your life went back to 0? Which chances did this offer?
2) How do you think about politicians visiting disaster zones?
3) Can media images of catastrophes promote empathy and humanism?