Have you ever.

Have you ever seen the mountains?
                           Terrifying, Rough
         Towering,                                Jagged
Tall,                                                               Edges.
Have you ever felt the ocean?
     Hard waves crushing your body, cool water chilling your being
Have you ever smelled the forest?
     Evergreens, swaying trees, wild flowers dancing
Have you ever heard an earthquake?
     Rumbling, grumbling, crashing, smashing
Have you ever tasted a tsunami?
     Salt water, sloshing, gigantic winds, huge waves
And finally peace.

The Tears

Whenever I see family,
          It is a late December Christmas.
          I am sitting by the crackling
              fireplace playing 4-on-the-couch with the cousins.
          I am laughing and talking with
              all of my aunts and uncles about the
              Amazing year that I had.

But that's not my story. 
       My story is Auntie just getting over cancer
       but now being abused by her husband.
       Putting on a strong face
       So all of us won't worry.
But all she really wants to do
is cry.