in the distance
i saw a family

they looked like any other
in this world
as if they had all just been fed
through a meat grinder

the adults were unclear
unsure as to what may
or may not be
a threat

they seemed to know how to manage
only themselves
yet they were more than willing
to attempt nearly anything

the youngest child
clutched her mother
desperately seeking to restore
her lost innocence

another young girl
almost a woman
stood apart
in silent rage

as soldiers violently took away
her only brother
i could see the cold
calculating intelligence
of her revenge

and suddenly
this family
no longer suffered
in the distance

m(____)m