The tears gushed down

My burnt cheeks

Forming a river

Of grief, Beneath me

My blood stained arms

Carried the pain of an entire army

My mother lay before me

In a pile of rubble

Smothered with the ashes

Of our once humble home

Her eyes were closing

Her breathing heavy

I whispered softly

Something I never said before

For you realize the worth of someone

Only when they are gone

I love you Mom

She chuckled ever so softly

The breeze gently blowing her hair

Cursing the bombing 

Cursing the air

And then I collapsed 

Holding my mother's hand

The last thing I saw

Was the piercing sound

Of the ambulance

I woke up the next day

The brightness pierced my eyes

I stared around the room

I had survived

I saw a woman next to me

Her body thin and frail

My mothers eyes were closed

But her breathing was steady

And her lips were parted

In a smile

I sighed with relief

The hole in my heart

Had mended

All was well 

But a new era 

Of love and gratitude 

Had just begun