“Kids can be cruel,”
A mother says
Of a nickname,
A new game,
Or some other
Schoolyard woe.

“Kids can be cruel.”
It implies that someday
We stop being cruel–
And yes, that can be true.
I’ve seen the helpers,
The defenders, the counselors,
The teachers, the peacekeepers,
And so many more.

And yet the cruelty doesn’t end.
The helpers aid those who have been hurt;
The defenders, those who have opposed;
The counselors, those who have been weakened;
The teachers, those who have been ignored;
The peacekeepers, those left in the remains of war.

“Kids can be cruel.”
Yes.
And so can we.

Copyright Sarah Davidson 2021