A baby crying for her mother

Her face a clutter of creases

As I hand her back to her mum.

Imagine if the mother was the victim

Of a roadside bomb and nothing was left

For the baby to cling to. What then? 

Continue with your crossword?

Mutter 'rather her than me?'

Compassion fatigue - honestly!

A desire to leave this mess behind?

Develop mindfulness? Yoga, clean living? 

Pass by on the other side of the ocean.

A dollar or two as a token of our virtue?

Or send your sons and daughters to fight.

With the YPG. The Kurdish People's Defence

Units. The All-Women Defence Units. The jinn.

International brigades of young people willingly

Risking their lives to fight ISIS, the Islamist Turks.

They have a right to decide the future. 

We have abrogated ours.