Beneath the starry sky,
he knelt, the ground hard against his knees.
A disturbed look etched his sooty face
as red, weary eyes stared at nothing.
The bitter bouquet of smoke
carried heavily on the wind,
a simple reminder of recent destruction
and living angry flame.
Compelled into motion, he--the reluctant hero--
limped forward slowly,
arm extended in a
mute gesture of compassion.
He nodded soberly
at their words of thanks,
and then was all but done in
by a child's kiss on his cheek
Author: Vanessa Sgroi