Spectators in War

We stood there
spectators to this tragedy.
To this war.
All of us on this street corner
even the children came out to see
this mess we have made.

A mile away things look normal.
A park come alive with us
under the sun that refuses to not show up
and life is still

/ / / still

we cannot return to before
the kids have already seen.
In strollers
on bikes
playing in the street
while the national guard marches around the building
for a shift change.
And this is the shifting change
for how can we explain to the youth that we saw and did nothing?

Good god the children are watching.
I hope they don’t learn they have to wage war
every time they are not sure who they are.