The Stranger

‘Look quickly!’ said the stranger

I turned around in time to see

a wall fall onto the child

playing beside a derelict house

In the silence of the rising dust

I saw the child’s arm thrust

out stiff between the bricks

like a tulip

a white tulip

a clenched tulip

I turned angrily to the stranger

‘Why did you have to tell me?’

‘Well I thought you’d want to see’ he said

the tulip screamed

now limp

now red