My heart sunk

when my grand daughter only five

told me she wanted the “sickness” to stop

She misses being in school;

She misses visiting with her adorable cousins;

And of course she misses her grand parents.

I hope she never asks when it will go away.

I think she knows somehow that it will not disaappear;

or that the “sickness” can be cured with chlorine.

I hope her childhood is not destroyed;

If she happens to see the violence on TV

and troops being deployed.

I pray for all our children.

They are all of our children you know.

They depend on all of us to make the right choices,

Starting with the leaders at the top.

Everyone in this universe must connect.

We are all a part of each other

even those who refuse to acknowledge

that we are all truly brothers

and sisters on this planet.

And for those of us here

in the greatest country of the world

we must make sure

the “sickness” is destroyed.

How?

Love yourself and thy neighbor.