I started out my office door, to go and smoke a ciggy.
When suddenly I noticed that the floor was getting jiggy.
At first I thought it was a truck, or maybe some construction,
But quickly realized that this was it, my first seismic eruption.
Since I'm from Oklahoma, I just stood out in the hall.
I looked up to the ceiling, saying "'Aint this cool, y'all?"
Standing in their doorways, my coworkers stared me down.
They were all behaving while the earthquake shook them 'round.
I yelled, "woohoo!" and saw the hanging lights sway even more.
A fast-thinking man yelled to us all, "Everyone stand inside a door!"
I quickly figured out that I was going to be all right.
And so I grabbed the doorframe and just stood there holding tight.
I could see a friend, a few doors down, smiling as she rode it out.
Quite frankly I didn't see what all the hype was all about.
The shaking stopped and all was still, and I jumped up with glee.
People started running down the halls and whizzing right past me.
I never saw a twister, being raised in tornado alley.
So this was my first natural disaster, and I acted like Seismic Sally.
I ran to my PC and told a friend about the quake.
I said, "I'll be right back," but then I had to evacuate.
With no regard to safety, I took the elevator
My lack of education on the quake would hit me later.
I finally had my cigarette while waiting on the street outside.
I finished two, before they told us no one could go back inside.
It was lunch time, and we saw some flocks of people heading out.
If I were to leave, I'd need my purse and other things no doubt.
Don't ask me what, but I had an excuse so I could be let back in.
I was escorted through the building, making haste while gawking within.
I grabbed my purse, and my friend's purse too. This man was a savior.
"Don't tell anyone," he said, because he wasn't doing favors.
I rushed downstairs and into the crowd, casually giving my friend her purse.
I'd say, we faired very well. Things could have been much worse.
We slipped away and drove on home. They weren't gong to let us back.
And so I drove, while looking around, trying to eye the rubble and cracks.
I wondered about my Opus cat, my neighbor and my home.
The radio was full of stories, including a crack in the capitol dome.
When I arrived, it was all cool. I'd been given a gift of time.
I thanked the lord, and had a beer--called home and said, "I'm
fine."