Imagined tragedy

At first we thought they were birds, 

Their poor feet trapped in the frozen ice, 

And we ached for their probable demise, 

Even as we marveled 

 At the symmetry of their spacing. 

It was a relief to realize 

These were simply ancient pilings 

From a dock long since destroyed. 

Disturbing, really, to see 

 How deeply we respond 

To imagined horrors seen 

While successfully ignoring

 Real tragedies unseen…