I gaze at them
at the city being bombarded
at the buildings crashing down.
Amazement runs through me—
what a couple of words can do
to hurt someone,
to kill someone.

The murderer
and the others laugh
while the victim sits there
with such a pale
blank face,
so blank
it looks like a white piece of paper.

I gaze at them
while the bullies
kill their victim.
I gaze at them
knowing that I’m
a bystander...
but I’m no longer innocent.