"Soul Aloft" - (poeTry)

by amica paige



"The principal thing in this world is to keep one's soul aloft." - Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

The ground shook and awakened
Neptune charged swiftly at them
Their houses taken along—uprooted and afloat…
They used to call this home
This silent, scattered place
Of sudden devastation.

What do you do when you hear their cries?
What do you do as you see them die?
Do you turn your head the other way—
As you switch the channel for lovely things?
Are your arms too short for reaching out—
Or just plain exhausted from working out?

What can you give when you’ve got bills to pay?
And those things you’ve longed and been saving up for…
They had some stuff too, before…
Which now have all been washed ashore…
Would you care to consider sending them, at least—
some body bags for their dead bodies?

I saw it too like you, you know
Just like I saw the two towers fall
On ashen heads in the money pit
Just like I heard when Katrina came
And Neptune charged in Asia too
And the fiery ground shook Haiti’s feet

Flaubert said to keep your soul aloft…
I do that when I see my home afloat…
You see, it can happen here too…
I felt their pains when disaster came…
My heart cried out as my hands reached out,
Though we are miles and miles apart.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy