I have become a soaring falcon
circling my prey, eyeing
each one in their fenced-in enclosure.
I see countless smiling faces,
hear their shouts of laughter,
their giggles of delight, and I feel
cheated, robbed of my parenthood.
My own child should be running
and playing at recess time,
but school became his execution chamber.
I must appear like a predator outside
this playground.  I just needed to see,
to hear what once was.