sweet collateral

she was seventeen

he was twenty-eight

he was head over heels 

she just wanted to be friends

he father noticed 

so he made a bargain with him

my daughter for your help and protection

you see

he wore a german uniform 

he had more privileges 

than the refugees in the work camp 

or so

that was what her father thought

after all this was wartime

picking one’s allies was important 

to one’s survival 

so what if your daughter

was collateral 

extra sugar rations will sweeten his life