Long After

Long after the roar of tanks cleared the air,

there was a furor in my mind of cries

that woke sleeping dogs on the pavement.

Long after the gunfire ceased,

there was the sound of women’s shuffling feet

searching for children amidst clouds of smoke.

As images flickered in my mind, I watch

my little girl play amidst wildflowers

on patches of green grass I once played on.

So I walk out in the sun and kneel by her side.

In her eyes – deep wells of hope,

I find promise in a future I was once weary of.

In the warmth of her palms, I find tenderness

and peace, and realize, I am home.

*First published in the poetry anthology, Songs of Peace, by The League of Poets.