I died once

when I was 12

 for a few minutes 

I looked down

calm and unconcerned

on people frantically working on my body

the body of a twelve year old

and then someone told me 

I had to go back

I didn't want to,

but I did.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

True story. I am a recovering alcoholic, and this is the story of my first experiments with alcohol, my parents found me unconscious in front of the front door (they'd been at a party, and I had had one with their liquor cabinet)( didn't start really drinking more regularly for a few years after that)they had me rushed to the emergency room, when I woke up they told me I had stopped breathing at one point on the table, I already knew that.

I guess the reason i put that on your tsunami thread is

that I know it is small comfort to those who lose someone in catastrophic disasters like what has happened in Japan  but I do believe that somehow this world is not the it, the end all, and that we may even be happier in the next place. and really it is good to grieve and morn but we need to understand that maybe grief is for those left behind, their loss, and that Perhaps not to lose faith in God, that as Jesus rose from the dead the victims of disaster continue on in eternity, in the big picture, unharmed by leaving this temporal existence. I say this not because I think you would lose faith i think yours is strong but every time one of these terrible disasters happens I have noted that certain factions want to use it to point to the non-existence of God (I read too many Philosophy sites probably) but as my priest said in a sermon recently around Christmas time God comes in the humble form of the babe  to be with us in this world, not to fix it he comes to be with us in the mess not to make it all perfect, solidarity, hell I don't know where I am going with this except that I just hate for people to use disasters as a reason to accuse God or discount God, and something at the end of your poem made me think of it.

Hey Sabrina!

Thanks so much for your comments and I totally agree with your characterization of the

Japanese people.  No looting.  No riots.  It really is astounding. 

RR

You're very welcome, RR!

@Babs, concur you wouldn't find that aplomb, graciousness and grace in America. I keep thinking of the news footage after Katrina showing all the looting and theft that went down in the wake of that disaster...I was ashamed and horrified as I watched our people act like mindless hooligans looting and committing mayhem against their fellow victims in New Orleans. it was stomach churning and turning.