Gemotions

The fallen branches blocked her view of the house. She went over to help. The neighbors all worked as one, but she just stood there. The weight of the moment was like a physical pressure.

She helped when prompted, moving limbs, clearing debris. Her movements were slow, her muscles heavy. She tried to smile at the neighbor’s daughter, who was crying. She couldn’t.

She thought of the old woman, her house now visible, and the way the tree had sheltered the house from the wind, a wind that now felt unforgiving. She felt the same way about the world.