Day 319

The boy’s sister so badly burned
he does not know her.  She is lying
on the floor beside him.  He
has been wrapped in bandages,
has had some kind 
of surgery, is in some
kind of pain. This that’s beside him
is not the sister he played with,
fought with, trusted with his secrets.
This column of ash, charred flesh,
this faceless voiceless expressionless block
is not his sister.  He lies still, listens
to the breathing that comes
from what lies beside him, the place
where the chest would be, amazingly, slowly
rising and falling. The familiarity of it
frightens him more than if
he didn’t know it.  He hates it, doesn’t
want it to be his sister.  He summons
whatever strength he still has,
speaks her name.  Is paralyzed now
with fear.  What if she answers?  what
if she doesn’t?