The airplane circling overhead had smoke pouring from it. Female trapeze artists found that important. They performed in nylon suits you could see through. I spoke to this older couple standing next to me. She immediately became upset because the veins in her hands were showing. He got hit by a speeding car while attempting to cross the street. All I could think about was my mom; I didn’t know where she was. I didn’t know where my sister was, either. Not everyone was crying. A lot of them hadn’t heard about Syria. They said, “Where is Syria?” Some thought it was Siberia.

 

---

 

Howie Good is the author of The Loser’s Guide to Street Fighting, winner of the 2017 Lorien Prize from Thoughtcrime Press, and Dangerous Acts Starring Unstable Elements, winner of the 2015 Press Americana Prize for Poetry.