Salem Caprice No. 1

At night in early December
I sat in the passenger seat
waiting at an intersection in Salem
when I saw the fat father
leaving the Chinese food shack
bag in hand, leading his son.
And trailing behind him
was a shriveled girl
with thin hair
bent hands
misshapen eyes-

-Leaving the car
leading by the hand
smile that only those
with misshapen eyes can break
These are the children we see in school;
These are the children who make us whole.-

Sorry that I thought
In another world,
could I prune that branch?

Green arrow.