Raided Rooms

Soldiers in the doorway
with orders to search,
a father goes hoarse,
asking, "What do you want?"

This face or that? Each wonders who
will be the target of this raid,
"What did we do?" You!
And You! And You! Move!

The young, wide-open eyes
see their elders disappear
down stairs and hallways,
gone for "Processing."

The neighbors' windows flicker
blue from the TV.
No one watches the street,
no one wants to feel the heat

approaching block by block,
the creeping onslaught of apocalypse.
Some people sleep while others are removed.
"Just pray it isn't" you or you or you.

The TV talks of Progress in the War;
the faceless face of some elected fool
assures the viewers, "You are on God's side."
The ones who were not taken turn away.

Take me, Take Me to meet
the soldiers who don't blink black tears
as they take hooded prisoners
down rubble-littered streets.

Dan's 2-cent's worth: What America does abroad, it does and will do more of at Home. Arrests may take place 7000 miles away today and next door tomorrow.