i’ve read of many tragedies,
of pain beyond words–
hundreds, thousands, millions lost
“left alive were just one-third”

the stories echo throughout time
and are written in The Book
so none who come after
will forget when Gaia shook

my story, in this context, may
seem, to you, so trite
but for me, who did live through it,
it was my darkest night

for i had risen with hunger,
stomach hot and cruel,
the toaster beeped, my treat popped out–
i dropped my toaster strudel