I watched his body
Fall to the ground from
The floor above me
His head cracked
Open and bleeding
Helpless screaming
Filled the air then
Sirens blared
The blood was pooling
Even though they
Arrived in minutes I
Found out later
He’d been declared

Dead

And it sat in my gut like a hot burning stone
As I walked home
I didn’t even know him
Why can’t I stop thinking about it

My family kept getting smaller
I carried coffins with the men
I didn’t cry until he did
I tried to hold it in
But you can only hold it in for so long
And it sat in my gut like a hot burning stone
Every night after work as I walked home

People come in and out of my life like thunder