she faced a choice as terrible as the universe split asunder
it was her universe
the life of her child and her own
she begged the brutal guard to dispatch her first to spare the horror of seeing her own flesh and blood cut down even before the little life had taken flight
the child blameless as the dove of peace
her name Tziporah “the bird that soars”
she was well named
the guard acquiesced it meant nothing to him
her choice was not hard yet harder than stone or marble or time
the woman toppled into the pit
engravured with her kith and kin
she took comfort that her little girl lived for 3 seconds more
she took comfort that both would be together in as many
the guard himself was firmly in the employ of the Devil
it meant nothing to him
Flynnpoetry 