Up early without sleep
the worries of yesterday no longer venturing near
traveling the waterways instead
while the children slept
her husband was drawn by the war
every mundane moment
became precious
would it be the last (?)
if only a glass of milk could remain so comforting
she drank it slowly
hoping it would last
for once the glass touched down
the time for comfort would be past

Hands on the counter
she stared into the yard full of browning grass
winter approached slowly
but nature knew how to play its part
humanity fought her instincts
survival never meant more
no matter a migrant
or a hostage of a casualty of war
the tile floor was cold
she wondered of the man who troweled the grout
would he have known of the world’s misery (?)
but he was already forgotten
not even a footnote of history

Her child rushed along
questions bounding alongside
is the war over (?)
while muffled fireworks in the distance gave the answer
she never knew she had a gift
only to love brightly
but when fear became her night light
she realized her strength was real
there were no formalities to life
only the calm reassurance of purpose
and it was her hearts content
for breakfast was no longer her crowning glory
instead it was to calm life’s discontent

Each cigarette lit by weariness
nothing of another day to consider
only to sit down to talk of pleasure
within the cup of afternoon tea brewed by time
was a moment
a moment unlike any other
she wanted to write in her journal
if she could only find it
every thumbed corner of each page
no longer new but living instead
she thought while her children cried for brave men
she told them it would be over soon
but her prayer was for courage to never lie again