By Del "Abe" Jones
January 8, 2005

The following poem was contributed by Del "Abe" Jones: abeabe@worldnet.att.net I want to thank Abe for his generosity in allowing me to use this well-written and timely poem, and invite our readers to visit his Web Site @: http://mywebpage.netscape.com/delabejones/instant/memorial.html Gary Miller

WAVES of GRIEF

We watch the Surreal Images
Played upon the TV screen
And a worse Natural Catastrophe
In Recorded Time, we’ve never seen.

A shift in the Earth down below
Raised up the Ocean in a Wave
Swelling quickly towards the Land
Where once gentle ones did lave.

Barely noticed upon the surface
It raced outward towards the Shore
To where Villages and Towns
Once stood, but are no more.

Some People watched transfixed
And some raced for "higher ground"
But so many were washed away
And not likely Ever to be Found.

Whole Villages of People lost
Where the Wave’s Wrath was cast
Some, several Generations gone
And for some Families, the Last.

Many thousands from around the World
There to Celebrate Holiday Cheer
Changed from what some called, "Paradise"
Into a place of Death and Fear.

So many Children Lost and Orphaned
Is the very Saddest part of all
Some torn out of their Parent’s grasp
By that Tsunami’s deadly wall.

There have been some "Miracles"
But not nearly, not enough
Not enough "Happy Endings"
Amongst all that, "other stuff".

We will never know the Numbers
And can’t comprehend the Human Cost
All that we can do is say a Prayer
For all of those Souls we’ve lost.

Oh, we may try to be more Careful
Try to Prepare and to Foresee
But, there’s things (though not like this)
That Will be what they Must be.

For, the Earth will keep on turning
We will persevere and travel on
To wherever this Life may Lead us
As we have, since Humankind’s Dawn.

Del "Abe" Jones
01-08-2005

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