She was a Flight Nurse
After the medics, she
often got there first
and she got angry...
Angry at the ones
who’d hurt her boys -
her men -
“They” were the cause of
their loss of sight and limb -
She began to hate,
but she said that wasn’t really “her”.
She hated, but she didn’t -
she hated what had been done to them.
Until one day they had two small
passengers -
Her men were young,
but these were even younger -
and she hesitated -
These were the children
of the very men she hated.
Finally, she picked up the little one
and walked her in -
wondering at the reaction,
the response of her men.
She didn’t have to wonder long -
for the ones who could,
raised a stump, or a
fist with an extended thumb -
She didn’t have to wait long
for their reaction to come
She didn’t have long to wait for
their reaction and Love
to overcome her Hate.

©Christina Sharik
April 2001