america in their hearts

stories upon stories,
whispered frantic in the night,
fearful tales, angry warnings,
heard by ears that knew of fear
before ever listening.

reading, always reading,
i find their words,
absorbing them,
making them a part of me,
a tiny inkling becoming
an understanding of fear,
a life i will never know.

but i should not have wondered -
their fear finds me in the night,
their dreams and nightmares
penetrate the darkness's peace
with a frightening frenzy
of bloodying attacks
again and again and again.

sobbing, i plea for relief,
an end to the suffering
they perpetually face.
but for them, there is no end,
no end to the pain, the suffering,
the cries of injustice,
all heard in a chaotic chorus,
a song that makes me fear
the America that lies in their hearts.