Afterward

Look at the stars,
cascading down,
their iridescence dancing amidst
lost innocence.
Listen to the souls
crying out for mercy,
receiving instead the water's sting
and eternal minutes.
Watch the sunrise
illuminating against the cold, the ice,
the death.
Hear a little voice,
amidst shed tears,
"Look at the beautiful North Pole
with no Santa Claus on it!"