Full of the vigor that toddlers are so well accustomed.
These were the last words I heard
Before my daughter was stolen from me.
They swiped her from our rural green lawn,
Moving her in a silence that is still ringing in my ears.
Five years go by.
They find her in a truck stop dumpster.
She was bruised and barely breathing.
On her right thigh was the brand of a clever mantis.
It took some time but I unraveled the truth.
I then stood as stiff as a saguaro cactus.
My self-worth was eviscerated,
My daughter's life was broken,
and our lives can never be normal again.
This, Mr. Ortiz, is why you're going to die.
This is my worst nightmare...something like this happening to my son. That last line so powerfully sums it up. I really like the way you made the clever mantis a marking, a clue, and how cool that you found an image that fits perfectly. I like this a lot.
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