Premonition

Months before,
I stood where you would be shot
I shivered and vowed
Never to bring my child there again

What did I know?
I knew who had died there
And I knew you, my friend,
Were in danger.

I loved your garden
Of tobacco and corn
I loved your empty house
But I felt no peace there

Something dreadful was coming.
I thought of others,
Already gone, and
Hoped they watched over you

I searched for a way to protect you
From everyone, anyone,
Without touching your pride
Or calling your anger

We sat while I nursed,
Then walked in the fields
Behind the house
What did I feel, exactly?

I felt pain looming nearby
I was torn between
What safety I could offer
And what, in you, this offer might trigger.