*Trigger Warning*

If you know, you know.

DEAD CHILDREN FOR BREAKFAST

I turn on my phone,
A mirror to another world.
Or is it a black hole?

Unseeing eyes pierce into the soul.
I’ve never seen a dead baby before.
Blink. Blink.
I expect it to be gone,
But it burns into my retina,
Like a negative roll.

I scroll. I scroll.

I’m looking for time to kill,
A recipe, a story time,
An ad for a grill.
Instead,
Another dead child lying on a hill.

I look away;
It’s too early for death anyway.
I cook breakfast, a bowl of beans.
Blink. Blink.

A dead man hangs over a small tree.
I shake my head.
A voice wails in my ears,
“My mother can’t die,
My mother is dear to me.”

None of us are free
until all of us are free

I look at my flesh and blood;
Soul of my soul, you could say.
I look away.
It’s too late for breakfast anyway.

Reviews

[Chris Shaw]

I see it all the time. I look away too. I know it’s happening and it tears me apart , but one person can’t do anything. It’s in the hands of a few. The constant reels on the internet are designed to sway public opinion in one direction. I want peace and prosperity for all. I hope it comes soon. There is money in warfare. There are backers on both sides.

Chris

[@_av_poetry]

I agree with mostly everything you said apart from one thing. A war requires two armies. This is intentional targeting of civilians. It’s not a war. It’s a genocide. Thanks for taking time to read.

[Chris Shaw]

Your poem by the way was very moving. This is a tragedy of our times. You captures the devastation and loss of life well.

[@_av_poetry]

Thank you. Just writing from the heart ❤️