A Moment To Reflect

Seemingly surrounded by death,
can you really blame me
for my reticence?

Half-hoping you're a no show
in my armour, shield in hand,
wondering about the wisdom
of extending my hand.

On the radio
I heard them quote Japanese numbers
of dead, of homeless,
of those without water, without power in the cold
and the atomic clock ticking in the background.

And then they speculated about how
the stock market might be impacted
in the exact same tone of voice,
using the same rhythm and meter,
and then they were on to the next thing.

Later there was something else
about a mountain, about ascending,
and how that experience clenses
and makes one feel closer
to God, and I wondered
how much climbing we
would have to do
to get clean.