She Stares

She stares at the lifeless form in her arms its limbs splayed like an offering to the hot sun small eyes covered with a veil of flies skin stretched taut Tiny skeleton She stares at her useless breasts and wants to cut them off she screams what good are they? did they feed my daughter? where was the milk? Empty sacs She stares at the harsh land no grass or crops no clouds in the sky soldiers chase the people burn their shacks steal their food Scorching hatred She stares at the place where she must bury the child hoping the animals won’t find her that is the way of this world hunger-drought-soldiers-hate and always death til the cycle begins again and the next child is born Eternal Life