I saw you there sweating
while under the shade
screaming, "stop that now" 
and you threw a book
thump
straight out in front of you
onto faded grass.

You ordered him, "Go! 
Pick it up, you useless child"
A well-dressed boy in a school cap 
cowered to gain the book 
brought it back to you; 
you dropped it
Twice! 
So he had to pick it up again, and again
while you admonished him for his clumsiness.
 
Then I saw another boy
just the same as the first
T-shirt with a brown stripe 
across the middle,
as if they were evacuees from the war 
not in 2016.

She fumbled with a picnic chair
cursing it
made the boy sit down on it 
told him to shut up
even though he wasn't saying 
anything at all
The other boy sat on his chair too; 
they were silent.

I drove off, wondering how I could help them.