This poem is from a picture I saw in the paper of a Turkish soldier carrying the body of a 3 year old out of the waves onto the beach. His parents had
tried to come to someplace safe

I gazed at the picture in the news
and then looked away,
A policeman carries the limp
lifeless body
of a child out of the waves,
such a beautiful beach,
such a sad story.
Escape, terror, risk
everything
and these parents lost,
this child lost,
the game of survival.
I look away and then
look back and think
“what could I have
done”?
Reality hits me hard,
I looked away,
I looked away too quickly
and no help was offered
to help these poor souls
bring their son to safety.
My heart breaks,
my heart aches
Could I do anything?
Could I have made a difference?
I look away and move to something else,
an outfit, a dinner, thoughts of a film
I want to see.
My heart aches, but I still look away.

Julie Roberts 09-2016