Earthquake

My mother, my aunt, my friend,
are under the rubble, 
the lady from 7-C
and her two cats
are under the rubble.
I can hear one of them crying,
or is it a baby
crying under the rubble.

Your house, the school, the mosque
are under the rubble
and the dogs are sniffing
and sniffing
and sniffing …
Is anyone alive there
under the rubble.

Don't cry, be quiet …

I am trying, trying, trying
to listen for voices
under the rubble.

Can I reach the hand of my brother
under the rubble?

We were trying, trying, trying
to keep up your house
and the school
and the mosque
in the midst of the shame
of a democracy that was
already crumbling,
and the corruption of a state
that was
already crumbling,
and the fear of the voices
that were already
silenced,
and the affronts to the people
by power-hungry men
conspiring against humanity.
But Earth can be affronted too
by greedy power
that can't even respect the life
around it.

Earth has its own cares
and does not tend 
to our endeavors,
and our country,
which was already crumbling
is now in ruins.

I can barely breathe
here
under the rubble.