It's Friday, and you know what that means! You can find today's Poetry Friday roundup here. Tracey Kiff-Judson, our host, has done a deep dive into Monopoly tokens. Fascinating!
For me, January 12th will always have a deep significance because it's the anniversary of the 2010 earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince at 4:53 on that Tuesday afternoon fourteen years ago. I now live thousands of miles from Port-au-Prince, but those memories are still vivid.
It has been a while since I wrote an earthquake poem. The last time I posted a collection of my earthquake poems for the anniversary was 2021. You can see that post, along with the new poem I wrote that year, here. I imagine I will write more earthquake poems some day, but I don't have a new one for this year. Today, I am invigilating (proctoring) exams in Uganda. How's that for unexpected? Certainly I would never have foreseen it on January 12th, 2010.
11 comments:
Ruth, you live such an amazing, exotic life! I imagine that living in such diverse places has to be educational and invigorating ... and challenging. The earthquake experience sounds terrifying and life-altering. It reminds me that in this world, we are really small and out of control in some ways, and yet we have a huge impact in other ways.
Yes, you do have a life full of experiences that I have never had. Your earthquake poems are chilling. My son lives in California and it seems something like that could certainly interrupt his life and think about that. I wonder what it's like living in Uganda. I hope you are safe and happy there.
It's time for all of us to remember, and then to be thankful for what we have, to wish good for others, like sleeping in their own beds. Thanks for reminding us of this anniversary, Ruth.
I'm not sure any of us would be able to predict our whereabouts 14 years ago. But what a gift to preserve your memories in poetry.
Oh, the places life takes us. Ruth, I remember your stunning earthquake poems. The beauty you've made in response to such a tragedy is bittersweet, but so meaningful.
I cannot imagine living through that time with my children. Ruth, you take us right to that soccer field. That woman who died...she deserved to see more. She deserved another sunrise.
The repercussions of Haiti's earthquake, New Orleans' hurricane, the west's wildfires, Palestine's erasure...they all seem tied together and we need to figure out a better path thru the aftermath disasters because they don't seem to be letting up any time soon...
Thank you for sharing your memories. Your poems will preserve your feelings. I imagine you are still feeling the effects of that time in your life.
Wow, Ruth, "Eleventh Anniversary" is such a powerful poem. As Rose is saying above, I'm sure the aftershocks continue.
The final line of "Eleventh Anniversary" gave me shivers, Ruth.
Such amazing work you do. ❤️
Ruth, your "Eleventh Anniversary" poem vibrates with such emotion. I only experienced a minor shaking from an earthquake in California decades ago but it was enough to scare me. Thank you for sharing the link to your poem
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