Her voice is sweet and low ... her face angelic ... a child's heart already full of the Season.
At the same time, shots are fired in Ferguson ... dozens of vehicles are ablaze ... businesses are destroyed and looted.
The words spoken are all bad ... INJUSTUCE ... RACIST ... VIOLENCE ... DESTROY ... KILL!
The 8 year old skips out of her bedroom which looks like a TOY R US truck had a major collision with her bed leaving toys scattered everywhere.
Grabbing her doll, she hugs it tight.
"This ain't Iraq! This is the United States!" someone screams at a line of policemen.
At the same time, someone throws a rock hitting a reporter on the head ... making things very Iraq-like.
"Come on," Sarah says to Cass, "we're going to be late."
"Okay," the 8 year old sings in response ... sounding like a choir of Angels.
The Ferguson Fire Department is refusing to leave their barracks because of the gunshots and the looting taking place.
Hell has come on earth ... as it is in Hell.
I've never been one to get into the increasingly early celebrations of Christmas but these days Sarah sings along with carols on the radio while sipping morning coffee and I love when
she sings.
Her girls are already beaming with anticipation of celebrating the birth of Christ by singing Yuletide songs and being gifted for it.
Hip-Hop Artist J. Cole has a "heartaching, tearful song called 'Be Free'" inspired by Michael Brown's death.
Public Enemy's Chuck D, one of rap's most powerful voices, says "These people have actually stood up ... and that has to be saluted" ... for rioting and standing up to the Police.
Sarah and Cass leave for school and work.
I sigh.
I have Jury Duty today ... money to find ... bills to juggle ... and a car with the "Check Engine" light on.
"Oh well, it's not as bad as Ferguson," I say out loud in the quiet house, "or Savannah where far more people are regularly killed."
The childlike sweetness of Cass's voice singing rings in my head.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas."
Not soon enough.
And certainly not everywhere.
