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A Naval Officer stood on the sand
Without grownups, the boys stood beside him
crying, acknowledging the crimes they'd committed
a semi-circle nearly complete
save three:
Simon
Piggy
The boy with the mark on his face

"Nobody killed?" the Officer asked
The savages stood silent: they knew what they'd done
Ralph, the leader, stood alone
wishing he could have done more
The boys wept
for the end of innocence
for the darkness of man's heart
for the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called
Piggy

The Officer's eyes rested
on the trim cruiser in the distance