Remembering the February 22 earthquake

February 22nd, 2013

[This poem was written by a Motueka resident last year for the first anniversary of the largest Christchurch earthquake. It was not published at the time, but is now on the second anniversary of the February 22, 2011 quake.]

A Million Flowers!

Those countless flowers for peace and hope
appeared one day quite suddenly,
to help the city's of people cope,
on that first anniversary
of the February catastrophe.

Every orange cone I saw
had some flowers in its point.
I had seen a thousand or more,
each one is seemingly adroit
as knowing well that grief is conjoint.

For every child there was a flower
to show that it was not forgotten,
and will soon have citizen's power
to guide the city's future, often,
as that future is begotten.

For every broken body and spirit
there was a cone or two or three,
with a hole on top and flowers in it.
They would know that in their city
each one may exclaim, "These are for me!"

For all of those generous volunteers;
the carriers of news and shovellers of silt,
who saw that action was better than tears,
the flowers they placed were for their own ilk;
like tanker-drivers with water where there's usually milk.

The sky above Christchurch was blue that day;
the day that the flowers danced their magic,
and lightened the blue of the people who stayed
to repair and re-build after events so tragic;
for these strong people will not be dismayed
by that power mother nature has lately displayed.

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