Collateral Damage

“Wha-da-ya doin’?” a skinny, somewhere close to eight years old, almost certainly orphaned youngster took me by surprise. “Lookin’ for kids like you,” I said...suspecting her a victim of so-called - ‘collateral damage’ - from the fright within her eyes. “How about you,” I quizzed her...“do your folks know where you are?” I knew before she answered...as her lip began to quiver… Word for word what I would hear, and - reaching for her hand - began to list the various sorts of help that I could give her. Tears were literally pouring as she slowly raised her eyes, easily breaching what I’d tried for months to wall away, Stoking embers in my heart that simply would not die, made to cope with kids like this one nearly every day. Knowing she was safe with me, she fell into my arms...but as I gently held her I was fraught with utter shame To hear her sob, “Our house was bombed...my mom and dad are dead,” knowing I, and those I represented - were to blame! My books and Audio-CDs are at writerofbooks.com