Bombs explode
Weapons fired
In 82 it was Ireland, Beirut, El Salvador
In 98 it was Jerusalem, Rwanda, Kosovo
In 18 it is Jerusalem, Syria, and schools and streets in North America
And, a child
A gentle harmless child
Lays motionless beneath bricks, blocks, and blood
As I walk near to recover this lifeless form
The child’s eyes open
The child speaks
“Papa, this could be me”
The nightmare ends
I awake
Damn those who seek to control this earth with their corruption
Damn those who celebrate victory
Damn those who allow children to be killed
Damn those who turn lifelessness into a statistic