didn't feel the wetness
slide down the side of his pants
didn't feel the toy truck cut
through the skin of his hand
the uniformed men
spoke in a way he'd never heard
pointed, then shoved the gun butt hard
into his mother's side
and when she screamed
they turned the gun round
and there was a sound
louder than the bombs overhead
his head turned
to the liquid red snake
slithering quietly on the floor
he heard the silence break
as the men in uniform
turned their guns on him
Note: The ravages of war, and the subsequent effect on our children
who are our future leaders is devastating to say the least, and only
guarantees a repeat of the cycle of violence in the years to come.