THE TSUNAMI ALERT

After all the excitement I am glad the tsunami alert turned into a damp squib, but grateful that civil defence was ready and able to advise us, just in case. I first heard the warnings at 6 a.m. I listened while I ate breakfast. At 8:30 I rang my sons, 2 in Dunedin, 2 in Christchurch and the others in Wellington. None of them had been listening to the radio. I called over to my neighbour across the way. He was sitting in the son reading Saturday’s paper. Yes he knew about the tsunami. He had been fishing at the river mouth when Glenavy Civil Defence wardens came down and warned everybody to get off the beach.
The radio advised us to be prepared to evacuate; to pack overnight bags and food and water. It was all very sensible and calm. I packed night clothes, and a change of daywear, shifted my treasures into my little loft and sat down to wait it out. I remember a friend who had been on the Wahine in that storm. ‘After the first excitement,’ she said ‘it was rather boring, just waiting around.’ Shirley Corlett has written a novel about it. So I opened my e mail and sent a message to friends overseas to tell them that it was not at all like a Mel Gibson action movie.
After it was all over I posted a messages on the P.K.Poetry site.

The first wave of a threatened tsunami has passed the Chatham Islands. The radio says, ;be ready to move' but all we can do is wait. My overnight bag is packed, passport, credit cards and medication stowed safely; four bottles of water and my other computer stowed in my boot. My neighbout is cutting her roses, in case the water rises, So all we can do is wait.
Maybe I will be abe to make a poem out of this.
Waiata

My online friends were quick to send ‘take care’ e mails back. So I posted a ‘list’ poem:

Packing Treasures

Family photographs
spare knickers (silk)
glass necklance from Venice
T shirts from Turkey
4 bottles of water
medications and toothpaste
my laptop with all the PK postings.

This came back from Angela who lives in Wirral near Liverpool.

this morning
buy silk knickers
just in case
of tsunami
can’t afford
fare to Paris
M&S
not quite
the same
So I posted this:
What people see is not
always the entire package
an octogenarian
losing her hearing
her sight
her balance but
never her marbles
while young folk bray
she smiles because
under her geriatric gear
she wears silk.
Angela’s response?
Ton Up
by Angela Kearton (Wirral G.B.)
black leathers
go faster stripes
alloy wheels
titanium chassis
carbon forks
twin carbs
souped up engine
no brakes
on my wheelchair
old girl racer
but wait! There’s more!
After all danger was passed I wrote this Pantoum.
PACIFIC PANTOUM

That ancient sea god Tangaroa
dreaming, stirred in his ocean bed
his stirring shook the whole earth’s core
and from his stirring ripples spread

dreaming stirred his ocean bed
pulsed relentless wide and wide
from his stirring ripples spread
implacable as they pushed the tide

pulsed relentless wide and wide
drowned atolls and islands as they passed
implacable they pushed the tide
across the ocean deep and fast

drowning atolls and islands as they passed
pushed higher and higher up distant shores
across the ocean deep and fast
the dreams of the sea god Tangaroa

So that was that. No big dramas, I don’t suppose people will ask each other, ‘Where were you when the tsunami struck?’ Just as well, really.