winterlight

it is quiet.
a cup of deep dark blood-red wine is in my cup
a cold wind blows

i am shaky
the waves of nausea have passed
i think

owen breathes in sleep
a winter's nap in the dim room
softly lit
4 spotlights, a colored string,
and
an angel

had a solitary hour at the mall today
it was bustling
with holiday fun and joy

shoppers, workers, a full parking lot
but in Newtown
and all across the land

tears fall
20 tiny souls lost
6 big souls too

and those two* parents.
thank goodness they are not
bearing witness to what has been done

*At the time of this writing, some details were fuzzy. I did not think the father had survived the incident.