proximity

The foreground is:
A backyard line of laundry, mostly sheets
fluttering against a strong breeze

The background is
the house next door destroyed by a storm
only the foundation left as evidence

Tragedies that befall strangers
so near to us,
leave us uneasy.

An odd mix of relief and curiosity
Why them?
Why not us?

How can we appreciate our good fortune
with such great loss
in dire proximity?

_{for LucyS}

Prox*im"i*ty (?), n. [L. proximitas: cf. F. proximit'e See Proximate, and cf. Propinquity, Approach.]

The quality or state of being next in time, place, causation, influence, etc.; immediate nearness, either in place, blood, or alliance.

If he plead proximity of blood That empty title is with ease withstood. Dryden.

© Webster 1913.