not even
the horror of
smoke in choking
lungs
not the stabbing
anxiety of certain
doom
not the daughters without
fathers or the
husbands without
wives
not the grieving families
with wavering faith
& smoldering
loss––
not even
the terrifying rubble
of the towers
down––
can justify the
loss of a single
breathing
child
for the false
idol of
revenge
or the blind
excuse of collateral
damage, anywhere
on this
earth