I awoke to sleet hitting
my window, and heard a
sound I'd not heard before
a drumbeat
my father came in and said
they're coming, we went
outside to look and finally
through the gray, we saw
them, three officers on horse
back led, we ran outside to
cheer, but the men were
quiet and thin, the sight of
them took my breath away
they have no shoes i whispered
we watched for several
minutes as they passed by
i was unable to speak their
footprints left blood in the
snow, for many hours i
watched the soldiers march
single file into our valley
hundreds and hundreds were
barefoot, the icy mud was
cutting their feet, some had
wrapped rags around them
so they wouldn't freeze, i cried
to see there misery, and without
thinking, i ran up to a boy
who seemed to be my age
his arms were bare, and i threw
my cloak around him and the
look of relief in his eyes
is something i shall never forget
in this horrible winter of red snow
