A Crisis Of Sorts

Yesterday, the earth shook violently,

Its surface cracked;

The depth of the widest chasm so created,

Is what you want me to find,

I can do that by standing at its edge,

By throwing in it

A pebble or two, and wait for the sound

To reach me

When they strike the bottom one at a time.

But I ask to what avail when the damage,

Cannot be undone and

The fear of death hurts our psyche.

Why not rush to the site, locate the survivors

And attend to their injuries and other needs,

I must provide them with relief.

Indeed, I did throw a few pebbles,

But I heard no sound or cry,

Their fall was cushioned by the injured,

Or the dead.

There might be many who need medical aid;

Let us think about them instead.