The shadows of the previous day's events roll into the new morning.
Tinting the everyday routine with random tears, as a country struggles with collective grief.
Trying to find answers to the unanswerable. Assigning blame to politicians, or groups, or God.
Yet the world moves on, the day continues. Errands call for completion.
In an effort to cope, a cloak of anger and outrage is thrown over empathy.
While in one small town the world stopped. Left momentarily behind.
The echo of a small voice calling in the night for a glass of water, another story, one more kiss
goodnight.
Christmas trees standing vigil over presents, the carefully chosen and the snagged on a whim.
Wrapped and tagged with love, never to be unwrapped.
Mommies lie in empty beds, clutching cloth, inhaling the scent of their hearts, already fading.
Daddies torn between crumbling in pain and standing strong for the family.
Siblings struggling with suddenly being one less.
Until the groan of the world restarting pulls them relentlessly into a different future.