building destroyed by recent earthquake in Taiwan (NTD TV)‘Thoughts Upon Hearing of the Taiwan Earthquake’: A Poem by James A. Tweedie The Society April 3, 2024 Culture, Poetry 11 Comments . Thoughts Upon Hearing of the Taiwan Earthquake Big earthquake in Taiwan. My first concern: “Will China take advantage and attack?” Why did that cross my mind? Where did I learn To think like that? My brain is out of whack! My wife reminds me that someone we know Is in Taipei to visit with her brother. What will such people do? Where will they go? Our neighbor is her very worried mother. Conspiracy is in the air before The dust has settled. China! Did they make A bomb go off deep on the ocean floor That caused tectonic plates to shake and bake? Who knows? But I live on a Northwest shore Where a tsunami watch could be in store. . . James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and three collections of poetry including Mostly Sonnets, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in The Lyric, Poetry Salzburg (Austria) Review, California Quarterly, Asses of Parnassus, Lighten Up Online, Better than Starbucks, Dwell Time, Light, Deronda Review, The Road Not Taken, Fevers of the Mind, Sparks of Calliope, Dancing Poetry, WestWard Quarterly, Society of Classical Poets, and The Chained Muse. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 11 Responses Julian D. Woodruff April 3, 2024 Brain out of whack? Maybe, but I had the same thought. (But not about the CCP causing the quake, I must admit.) . Reply Paul A. Freeman April 3, 2024 China’s taking note of Ru Russia’s annexation and is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea. There was a conspiracy theory that the US caused the Boxing Day tsunami by laying nukes at either end of a fault line. Great poem, by the way. Reply Paul A. Freeman April 3, 2024 Apparently the idea was that the US would cause the 2004 tsunami, then come in with a load of aid and the countries affected by the tsunami would become firm US allies. It’s amazing how these improbable conspiracy theories get recycled to suit new circumstances. Reply James A. Tweedie April 3, 2024 i hadn’t heard that one. And there’s the one about the man who, during the depression. ate an entire car. (that one’s true, by the way). Evan Mantyk April 3, 2024 Thank you for the timely poem, Jim. I have a number of good friends there now. I’m sure they are fine, but haven’t talked to them yet. The last line of your poem seems especially ominous. Reply Margaret Coats April 3, 2024 James, you’re entering the twilight zone–but there’s company. In 2010, Venezuelan President Chavez blamed the disastrous Haitian earthquake on a United States research facility in Alaska. And just last year, a Turkish legislator blamed the big one in Turkey on the same facility. Have some good coffee, but make it a French roast. Reply Warren Bonham April 4, 2024 China has been openly hard at work to destabilize the West. Unleashing Tik Tok on us has messed up an entire generation of kids. The release of the Covid virus, even if it was unintentional, also had a devastating impact. It’s not unreasonable to think that they have many other schemes in place (maybe even attacking our network of bridges?) to bring us to our knees. Thanks for ringing the alarm bells. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson April 4, 2024 Timely, provocative, and frightening. I pray friends and relatives will be well. Reply C.B. Anderson April 6, 2024 Yes, James. Compared to what might be in store for Taiwan, an earthquake would seem like a godsend. The disposition of the USA, in its current state of unreadiness, will be of no avail. God help all of us. Reply Mia April 7, 2024 I experienced a few minor earthquakes and it is extremely frightening let alone when it has such an impact. I read yesterday that there was an earthquake in New York too? One after the other is worrying. It makes this poem very pertinent in many ways. Thank you for this thoughtful and thought provoking poem. Reply Joseph S. Salemi April 10, 2024 The earthquake you mention occurred in New Jersey (near the small town of Lebanon), but tremors were felt in New York City and in upstate New York. Small quakes of this sort are rare in this area, but they do happen now and then. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Julian D. Woodruff April 3, 2024 Brain out of whack? Maybe, but I had the same thought. (But not about the CCP causing the quake, I must admit.) . Reply
Paul A. Freeman April 3, 2024 China’s taking note of Ru Russia’s annexation and is flexing its muscles in the South China Sea. There was a conspiracy theory that the US caused the Boxing Day tsunami by laying nukes at either end of a fault line. Great poem, by the way. Reply
Paul A. Freeman April 3, 2024 Apparently the idea was that the US would cause the 2004 tsunami, then come in with a load of aid and the countries affected by the tsunami would become firm US allies. It’s amazing how these improbable conspiracy theories get recycled to suit new circumstances. Reply
James A. Tweedie April 3, 2024 i hadn’t heard that one. And there’s the one about the man who, during the depression. ate an entire car. (that one’s true, by the way).
Evan Mantyk April 3, 2024 Thank you for the timely poem, Jim. I have a number of good friends there now. I’m sure they are fine, but haven’t talked to them yet. The last line of your poem seems especially ominous. Reply
Margaret Coats April 3, 2024 James, you’re entering the twilight zone–but there’s company. In 2010, Venezuelan President Chavez blamed the disastrous Haitian earthquake on a United States research facility in Alaska. And just last year, a Turkish legislator blamed the big one in Turkey on the same facility. Have some good coffee, but make it a French roast. Reply
Warren Bonham April 4, 2024 China has been openly hard at work to destabilize the West. Unleashing Tik Tok on us has messed up an entire generation of kids. The release of the Covid virus, even if it was unintentional, also had a devastating impact. It’s not unreasonable to think that they have many other schemes in place (maybe even attacking our network of bridges?) to bring us to our knees. Thanks for ringing the alarm bells. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson April 4, 2024 Timely, provocative, and frightening. I pray friends and relatives will be well. Reply
C.B. Anderson April 6, 2024 Yes, James. Compared to what might be in store for Taiwan, an earthquake would seem like a godsend. The disposition of the USA, in its current state of unreadiness, will be of no avail. God help all of us. Reply
Mia April 7, 2024 I experienced a few minor earthquakes and it is extremely frightening let alone when it has such an impact. I read yesterday that there was an earthquake in New York too? One after the other is worrying. It makes this poem very pertinent in many ways. Thank you for this thoughtful and thought provoking poem. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi April 10, 2024 The earthquake you mention occurred in New Jersey (near the small town of Lebanon), but tremors were felt in New York City and in upstate New York. Small quakes of this sort are rare in this area, but they do happen now and then. Reply