down to the sea

in Barcelona, the tall
man with a black beret,
the housekeeper,
would collect
the new born kittens
in a burlap bag
then take them down
to the sea
to drown them.
you watched from the window
as he lifted
each kitten, from the wooden
crate,
crying, lying beside
the mother,
feeding.
you were just a child.
your face pressed
against the wired screen.
you imagined
the green water
of the Mediterranean,
so soft and calm
filling
their new lungs. you
wondered was life
that easy to take.
all life?