The First Snowflake of Winter

December
In the departure lounge
Of a small East African airport
I sat opposite a black woman
And her two children –
A young boy whom she carried
And a lovely, smiling, little girl of around 8-9 years old

They looked like a normal family
Until I noticed
The little girl only had a 6 inch stump
For a left arm
A victim, I presumed
Of the often unreported horrific wars
In Africa
Where murder, mutilation, limb-severing and rape
Go unpunished amongst the lawlessness
My heart sank for the little girl

And when she started to dance
A dance that required her to
Clap her hands
I had to go to the souvenir shop
To stop myself from breaking down

A Magnetto Influence Poem