Forgotten faces

A little girl walks the street
dim lit streets searching
for the life she knew
once had
saw shards of glass
that were once stained colour patterned glass
stumps of burnt out trees
remembering a time
when they lined the streets
many the times she seeked shelter
from the sweltering sun
walked passed shop fronts
signs hanging precariously
in her mind's eye
she sees the fruiterer cutting
sweet tasting watermelon
offering her the pink flesh
juice dripping as she walks by
holding a woman's hand-
her mothers she thinks,
though forgotten is her face
wondering where time went,
wondering why they are the forgotten ones
promised great things
yet all that remains is dirt,
dust,
debris
of broken buildings
broken people
attuned to the flies
and rotting corpses of those who
never made it
old-
young-
bound by a vision that was not their own
propelled by circumstance
not of their chosing
walks through streets
that are no more
and wonders of a life where
all remained the same