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The First Night
- Northwestern University Press
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169 The First Night Judith Levy Straus The child looks around With eyes wide open, But cannot comprehend What the eyes see So many in one room . . . People sleeping in their clothes . . . And in dirt. Long lines for watery soup . . . Grown-ups pushing each other . . . And yelling. Beds stacked three high . . . With straw mattresses that itch . . . And bugs that bite. No bathrooms, no kitchens, No real food, no toys, And grown-ups crying. The child closes her eyes She does not want to see, She does not want to hear. She does not want to feel How afraid she is. ...