Day 265

If I had not sent her to buy bread.
If I had not sent her into the street.
If I had not given her a red t-shirt.
If the air had not been cooler than the day before.
If the last bakery had been bombed before
and there was no place, no place remaining
to send her with some coins.
If we had not been hungry.  If her sisters
had not been hungry.  If I
had not been hungry.  If she had not always
been the one who chose to go out.  If her legs
had not been strong.  If she had not
always been the one who ran.  If the time
had been earlier.  If the plane
that dropped the bombs
had been flying a little to the east….