Tragedy

Shaking
The shudders run through the house
And instinctively I grab my friend's arm
My body is tense with anxiety and fear
Waiting for the quick jolt
The crack of breaking wood
Which would alert us to the fact
That the disaster playing out on our TV
Had struck home at last

Suddenly
With no more preamble than it was begun
The movement stops
And the silence is broken only
By a collective sigh of relief
The fear that in an instant
Had obtained a death grip on our minds
Begins to dissipate as our stricken faces
Break into nervous smiles

Fascinated
We scan the channels
And scour the web
Searching for answers to what will be
For although we feel a certain security
In the comfort of our home
And the presence of dear friends
Within us all is that deeply rooted fear
That today we will meet tragedy face to face

Danger
Has finally passed us by
And we return to that warm sense of safety
That security to which we cling so tightly
Yet even as we revel
In the undisturbed beauty of our own little worlds
The barrage of images
Assaulting us from our brightly lit screens
Shows us all the brokenness of another land

Tragedy
Has shown it's terrifying face
And although we were not the ones
Who were forced to look upon it
We nonetheless recoil
From the endless parade of human suffering
That it has caused
For in the darkest corners of our minds
That quiet voice wonders why it wasn't us