We can hear them miles away;

walking on the cold cement,

Click, click, click as the pavement meets their faded black boots.

They walk through our gardens

Destroying our red ripe tomatoes,

Take our mail,

And storm into our house

Breaking our heavy wooden door.

I ask mommy why.

I’m told it’s because of an evil man,

A man now in charge of the soldiers,

A man who hates my brown eyes,

A man who wants me to go to his camp.

I want to bring Sally,

Her dark long curls gathered together with a pink bow mimics mine,

But they won’t let me.

I want to take the locket my grandmother gave me,

The gold heart contains a picture of her and pape,

But they won’t let me.

Their dark blue eyes just stare into mine.

We go by a dirty train and arrive covered in dust,

But this is different than summer camp.

I see tears, not smiles.

Pain, not laughter.

Hate, not love.

Mommy and I are forced.

Forced to leave Daddy,

forced to withstand the buzzing as our dark locks fall to the floor,

And forced into a cold, dark room with other women and children.

I see another little girl in the distance;

It’s as if I’m looking into a mirror.

She too has fear in her eyes,

Not knowing what’s to come

of her,

Her mommy,

Her daddy,

The soldiers,

And this dark, empty place we call the “world”

Mommy holds me.

Our hearts beat in unison like a beat to a lullaby.

Her long and lanky arms intertwined with mine.

And together,

 we count against the hissing

One

Two