This Has No Name Poem by Grant House

A disaster is what happens to someone else
In another town
It's news
Astonishing
Startling, scary, unnerving
Worrisome even

But this sadness
This numbness really
This particular sense of irretrievable loss
Photos on the wall in the hall
The precious lock of hair so carefully hidden years ago
Lawn chairs on the porch
The kids' room kept that way since they left for college
The neighbor's annoying cat we grew to love
Our books
My closest friend
And the tree we planted together
The smell of the garden in the sunshine
Now, smoke and ash
Swept away
Rubble where a day ago was, well,
Everything

Maybe tomorrow it will be a disaster
Right this very minute
This
Has
No
Name.