Day 672

The child is digging desperately
through the rubble
to find his grandparents. They must
be there! They have
always been where
he could find them!
Maybe they’re breathing, just
waiting for him to uncover them, waiting
for him to remove the shard
of a wall from their eyes, clear a space
so they can sit up, look around, ask him
what he was doing when the bomb fell
on them all. Ask if he’s
all right, if he knows
where the others are, if he
could get them a cup of water. Tell him
how happy they are to see him, how
strong he is, how, as soon
as they stretch a little, they’ll
stand, dust off their clothes, check
him to make sure his small hands
are not bleeding.