Awoken by cries of “Air Raid!”
And sirens that deafen the night
She finds herself cold and alone
Her parents have gone off to fight.
At school he is told off by teachers
For not doing any homework
He’s given a lunchtime detention
To this news, he goes beserk.
As gunshots echo around her
She hides in her room and eats
It’s the first food she’s tasted in more than three days
Amnesty International wheat.
At dinner he’s forced to eat vegetables
Then there’s nothing to watch on TV
Except for some news show about some conflict
Going on in the Middle East.
At sundown she thinks she hears soldiers
Confidently approaching her house
She finds a dark corner and closes her eyes
Remaining quiet as a mouse.
He’s told to go to bed early
Appalled, he shouts “No Way!”
Soon he relents and goes to his room, muttering:
“Shitty end to a shitty day.”
She’s awoken, this time by parents
For their survival she had prayed
And as their family embraced in this war ravaged place
She thinks “What a beautiful day.”