June 10, 2017, Prescott-

In a small house, in a town eight miles from  here, a ten-year-old boy cringed,

and wondered, why the woman who had given him life was now stealing

the quality of that life.

A male animal, who had no concern for his well-being, burned and beat the boy,

at will, for what may have been days, but must have seemed like forever.

The woman finally realized she was in over her head, and called the police,

when her son was no longer breathing.

The male animal, who was taken into custody, along with the woman,

looked into the police camera,

and smirked.

Five minutes alone with him, would be all I’d need.

It’d be all that any man in my family, or in my circle of friends,

would need.

The boy is in extremely critical condition,

in a fine, state-of-the-art medical facility,

far from his place of false imprisonment.

I pray, fervently, that he recovers,

and lives a full life,

and never has to look at the male animal,

who tried to destroy his soul.

Across the street from me,

are two beautiful children,

living with their single mother,

who is young enough to be my daughter.

They come over to my driveway,

and ride their bikes down it,

one at a time,

while the other watches for traffic.

I am watching them, too,

because as long as I am here,

not a hair of their heads

is going to be harmed.

Across the globe,

several thousand children,

in a place called Raqqa,

wonder at the horrible, deafening

bombs.

and cower from the human animals,

who created the situation,

by which people in rooms,

air-conditioned rooms,

far from Raqqa,

have decided,

“THIS is  the way to deal with the enemy.”

The older of the children

know about Aleppo.

They know how it has been nearly leveled,

and they know the same

may well be the fate,

of their city.

Human monsters seem to abound, as yet,

though analysts and statisticians,

tell us,

their numbers are decreasing.

Tell that to their victims,

in every village of ours.

We, the parents and grandparents,

the aunts, uncles and older cousins,

the neighbours and teachers,

are watching.