Lighting the Fire

 

She barely knew him.
She couldn't remember his name.
They pulled out a fire.
They created a flame.

The boys held him down
and lit his shirt.
They laughed meanly
as he rolled around
screaming in the dirt.

She stood there frozen.
She couldn't believe what they did.
They were in highschool
and he was just a 10 year old kid.

She finally broke into a run.
As she looked back,
she saw one of the boys take out a gun.

As she ran,
she heard the shot,
but her own safety
was but a fleeting thought.

She ran into her house
breaking the calm.
She fell on her knees
and cried, "Dad! Mom!"

She told them what happened.
Her mom ran to the phone.
Her dad grabbed his coat
and in a moment was gone.

The boy was alive.
The bullet had missed.
The boys were tried as minors,
and their case was dismissed.

At night, when she'd usually
pull out her dolls to play.
That night instead, she knelt to pray.
"God, help that boy;
let him be okay,
and please, god, please
make those boys pay."

Down her cheeks
the tears flow,
her security stolen,
her heart grew cold.

Her eyes were opened.
She could finally see
how evil and cruel
the world could be.

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