we both watched them run until their bodies became to frail to function
they wore themselves out and broke themselves down into nothing
we behaved as if bystanders to some gruesome accident in the making
powerless in our capability to rescue,
but burdened with the weight of survivor’s guilt all the same

we both watched them run faster than we could keep up with
their arms pumped by their sides, their elbows shoving us away
we called out to them, we screamed:
"aren’t you getting tired yet?"
but our words were lost in the dust they created

we both watched them run farther away from us,
farther away from the unknown they were searching for so desperately
we both watched them run until there was nothing left to see