Collateral Damage

Collateral Damage



Ripped and dusty, silently lying there,
a child's teddy bear among the rubble.
It spoke to my heart with its vacant stare
of how dreams vanish in times of trouble.

I feel the burden of loss and despair.
Is the price of freedom innocence lost?
How do we justify what is unfair?
How can the future afford today's cost?

We live in times where we simply accept
that freedom's not free. It comes with a price
seen in the faces of mothers who've wept
over losses that weren't our own sacrifice.

Collateral damage it's called in the press,
discussed with dispassion like figures or charts.
I lose hope for our future, I must confess,
for ignoring the damage done to our hearts.

Ripped and dusty, silently lying there,
a child's lost dream crushed beyond repair.

Notes:
An entry for December 1 of "A Poem A Day Contest"  [E]
Prompt: None

Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even encouragement or praise - are all equally welcome.

Ken