Together – by Aoife Nolan, age 13

The dead leaves swept up in piles on the ground, together.

The bare trees in rows along the streets, together.

The children bundled up against the biting cold, together.

The stray dogs scavenging for food on the streets, together.

The logs chopped up for firewood, together.

The bottles broken in the alleyway, together.

The mice looking for shelter in people’s houses, together.

The patients sitting outside the hospital waiting room, together.

The people lining up outside the soup kitchen, together.

The family standing outside the cemetery, together.

The direst situations, together.