I lie,
Blanketed in sand,
Sides painted the dull sky blue—
They wouldn’t have seen me coming.
Something inside - twisted wrong,
Metal unlatched to caress the dirt.
My life extended beyond my function—
Rendered harmless—
My body emblazoned, marked by my creator,
A scrawled signature,
Flush to my underbelly.
Dust settles.
The people I was born to destroy gather around me,
Confused, afraid—
They have not been sent any miracles
In a very long time.
A child curiously touches the tip of my nose.
Would we have died together?
Her palm is warm, girlhood still pink across her cheeks.
\I hope that I will never fulfill my purpose\
Let me return this metal body to the earth,
Let these children continue living,
Let my brothers also fail and fall gently,
Let there be no more death.
Tonight, let the night sky remain illuminated
Only by stars.
I dream of the parts within me, mined deep in the ground.
Even the stones will resist.
Yes, even the stones.