First, the boy melted the black
As it dripped he saw sadness, danger, fear, terror, pain.
He saw the demons of his childhood that had taken his innocence.
He smiled, feeling both revenge and closure.
Second, he melted the yellow
He saw happiness, joy, and laughter.
He saw his village gathered around a campfire beating drums and dancing primally.
He smiled.
Third, he melted the red
He found it odd that this one melted slower and the drips were thinner, more watered down.
As it fell he saw anger. Rage. Bloodshed. Death.
He smiled once more, relieved that he was still alive.
But the mood soon changed as he held the white one over the melted carnage.
His smile disappeared and the world around him slowed.
"I'm only following orders,"
the white one pleaded.
The words echoed in his head as he remembered those words being spoken by the American soldier,
gun hanging down by his hip,
justifying himself to the mother who held her elder son in her arms,
his blood soaking through his hair onto his mother's prayer gown.
She wailed while her son died in her arms.
The boy sat there,
locked in that moment,
for what seemed like an entire lifetime,
imagining a life with his brother still alive.
He stood up and laughed, then cried, then laughed again,
The two emotions blending into a cacophony of music.
He turned his back and disappeared into the shadow filled alleyway that lead him home
Leaving behind the black, the yellow, the red...
and the white
Color Etching by Nadia Hassler. Words by Steve Brian.
No comments:
Post a Comment