Wednesday, April 24, 2013

30 Seconds

30 seconds

See her...that one, over there. Yes--her! The little one with the black curls and the shining brown eyes. I know! She really IS cute. What a vivacious smile she has, and that laugh!

25 seconds

She seems to love those yellow flowers. She has them tucked into her patchwork skirt and tied into a crown on her head. She's a princess in her smooth, unblemished bare feet!

20 seconds

Up close she smells like honey and berries and a summer afternoon, all sun-warmed and soft. I hear her giggling with her friend now, and she is talking of the future and of changing the world.

15 seconds

She is praying now, isn't she? Bowed head, curls shifting in the gentle, hot breeze. I hear those whispers of hope for her family and friends in the warm breath as I pass near her sweet rosy lips. Close enough to feel the gentle rhythm of her precious heart.

10 seconds

Her toes are soft in the dirt, her ankles warm in the sun and dirt. Her prayers barely pause when I brush her skin. I don't think she even noticed me, even with the little welt that now marks her brown calf.

5 seconds

I'm sorry, truly I am. She seemed so hopeful, so aware, such a gift,now a statistic. Don't blame me, a mosquito has to eat. Besides, it's preventable, you know... you could've protected her.

0 seconds

Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. It is preventable.
Give Hope. Celebrate World Malaria Day by donating to the Malaria Intervention Initiative page at Compassion International.

Please, all it takes is prevention.

5 comments:

  1. I've read several of these, and yours is by far the most moving. Thank you for writing! My post goes up tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your kind comment! I will look for yours!

      Delete
  2. What a challenging post! I also plan on posting tomorrow. Thanks for the encouragement to do our part!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I LOVE this! It is so creative!

    ReplyDelete