la beauté du chaos

when the ant farm is shaken---
when there’s a fire in the theatre
when there’s word of an epidemic
when there’s been a car accident
when there’s been a fight in the parking lot
when a plane has just crashed
when a storm hits
when the electricity goes out for blocks
when the dogs break their leashes & go to find their prospective owners
when the prison doors are broken
when the pitchforks & torches come
when the glass is shattered & the pieces are dealt out for maiming
when the soldiers go AWOL
when the bank is robbed
when the businessman is attacked & mugged in an alley
when the mall is looted
when the streets are filled with rioters
when the plague takes its toll
when the rivers overflow
when the dynamite blows
when the guns go off repeatedly
when the switchblades are pulled
when the teeth are gnashed
when the screams amplify
when the lies try to overshadow the pure horror & genuine panic
when the heart beats faster than it ever has before
when the sweat pours & the jittery nerves shudder
when all that people call “faith” is lost.