The Lost Children

a single shoe by the road
filled with rainwater
soggy with faint smell
of an earthy foot

a little girl picked it up
pour out the water
she looked around
wondering who it belonged to

she ran towards the field
at the other end
where flowers bloomed
and butterflies fluttered around

a little boy stood
picking at flower petals
singing gustily aloud
laughing when butterflies floated by

they looked at each other
tow headed boy black haired girl
shoes forgotten, they held hands
and ran around on the field

they chased fluffy bunnies
played with two squirrels
a little honey bear
a few frogs and a dragon fly

they chatted with a praying mantis
blew bubbles from singing reeds
rolled down the mossy hill
drank nectar from blooms

then they heard a wailing
they saw a boy wrapped
in a black shiny shroud
and someone crying

'don't be sad, Jeremiah
they cried harder when
it was me, that got ran
over by my daddy's car'

the two little shadows
walked slowly away
fading into the night
entering the lights

they heard the laughter
of happy children
playing on a heavenly
playground and they smiled

Jeremiah and Azlina
joined the happy crowd
they no longer hear scary
voices in the night, serving pain

Or felt the horror
of hands pinching and grasping
as they take their pleasure
from pained little bodies.