By Lisa Huddleston

 

Today is a day half empty

Earth quaking beneath my feet

Heart rioting in my chest

Fear and anguish and desperation raging

And leaving a half-empty space in which

My questions loom large and invisible

Holding my head above the waves

 

Can questions hold me up?

Or am I the foolish man building his house

Upon the sand?

No foundation

No firm, solid ground

Just empty space above and

Unanswerable questions below

 

As the earth shakes

And angry young people empty shelves

In a local store

As though stolen goods can fill empty souls

 

Nepal and Baltimore

Earthquake and riot

And nothing makes any sense

As I find myself drinking from a glass

Half empty