Beneath the Surface

Hot magma churning quietly
Just beneath the crust.
It stirs slowly with a certain, undeniable authority.
The volcano growls, hisses, and finally spits.
Livid lava spews through the thick haze of black ash.
We run for shelter that is nonexistent.
A city destroyed.

A continent away, aftermath arises.
The volcanic eruption thrusts the tectonic plates together.
Earthquakes ensue.
Buildings tumble and turn to rubble.
Homes and families alike, obliterated.
Cars are crashing; concrete is cracking.
The violent shaking comes in bursts,
The element of surprise is not on our side.
Another city destroyed.

It is not over yet.
Still further away, the water on the shores shy back.
All looks calm, but the ocean is only deceiving us.
The water, receding, is being summoned back to the dark depths of the sea.
When it returns, it strikes unfathomably fast.
The tsunami is upon us.
Swimming ceaselessly to safety.
Drowning in defeat.
Sinking to silent eternity.
Yet another city destroyed.

But we are granted a boon:
the power to change the malignant forces of nature.
To alter the detrimental nature of the plates beneath the earth's surface
To bring them to peace and make them still with serenity.
To stop Mother Earth's accidental annihilation
To save her children from untimely demise.