We Don't Speak Earthquake - Jan. 13, 2024

here in southern California

nobody talks about

earthquakes

it’s the black sheep   the white

elephant   the purple cow grazing

in our back yards

the one we never want to excite

into head-butting our homes

or stomping on roofs

you mid-westerners must do the same

never stir your coffee too fast

lasso your cattle in a storm

or fly kites at all

to keep tornadoes from awakening

and here I am making

all this noise on my sofa

on a very quiet morning

when anyone could be listening