Children crying
People grieving
Rushing fast
Everyone leaving
The ocean's alive
And chasing you
Grab your kids
You've got to move
But the sea is quick
And to survive
You've got to leave
A kid behind
No time to think
About the past
These seconds could be
Your very last
Unless you let go
Of one of two
Though a horrible
Thing to do
A boy and a girl
Which one do you keep
Which one to lose
To an eternal sleep
The girl is kind
And gentle, too
She is much
Closer to you
But the boy will grow
Into a man
To rule the house
And work the land
The time is now
The sea is here
How to let go
Of your poor dear
You choke out a sob
And curse this strife
Let one kid go
Ending their life
The sea swirls
You cough out a cry
And say your final I love you, goodbye
There's not much left
You hold on tight
The ocean rushes
With mighty might
Tears blur your view
Nothing but sea
Think of the life
That never can be.
Author's Note: I based this poem on a scenario I saw on the news concerning
the tsunami in southeast Asia. I wondered what it would be like to be a woman
and leave a child behind. I know it could be hard, but I challenge you, the
reader, to figure out: which child did you leave?
