LatinosUSA

A girl, no older than five,
remained unaffected by the heavy
shelling of the buildings.
The girl used to scream in terror,
but now she’s slumped in a corner,
searching for shelter.

Her nails scrape down
the concrete walls
for those who said never
again to see again now and then.

The girl looks up at the sky
as if God himself would scoop her up,
but the light is a star
upon which she couldn’t wish.

She calls to her mother to feed her.
Her eyes sink, and her skin hangs
off her brittle bones.
An airstrike killed
her mother last September.

She knows what death looks like,
but she doesn’t understand
what it means never to return.
She had relied on aid
until it was exhausted.
She died beneath the rubble,
eyes fixed on heaven.

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Bio: AC is a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division. During college, he read a Raymond Carver book and discovered his passion for writing. AC graduated from a community college and earned a bachelor’s degree from a seminary. He worked for a nonprofit for fourteen years and in several school districts.

Link to blog: https://writeovercoffee.blog/