a childhood but not my own

John Sweet

and what of this which is from a childhood but not my own a young boy knocked down and soaked with gasoline a match lit and then he is breathing fire is screaming and his skin is screaming and the continent finds its own way to water and if the boy is ten and his attacker is twelve then who do we blame? who do we read the poem to and what response do we hope to get? who exactly are we trying to save?