GOD BLESS THE CHILD

Today, on bended knee, I pray for her and for them

God bless the child with the vacant eyes
and forgive those who believed her smile
was anything more than a mask for her dying soul

she came into the world unprepared
for the brutality that awaited her at the hands of
her parents and, through their indifference, the world

everyone said she was accident prone ... clumsy
that her bumps and bruises and broken bones
were her own carelessness ... lies they told themselves

when she went to school with new bruises
the teacher pretended not to see it
even when the child's eyes pleaded with her to notice

when she jumped at the sound of her parents voices
or seemed to tremble as they approached her
the neighbors figured she was in trouble and ignored
the desperation clinging to her spirit

when the police arrived at the house, little girl in the back
captured a few short hours after another failed attempt to escape
they told themselves it was normal for a 7 year old to run away

when child services came to speak with the family,
to investigate claims of abuse she chose to believe the lies
never once looking into the little girl's vacant eyes

when the police led her parents away from the home
and sent the child's broken body to it's final resting place
everyone looked away from the scene, guilt all over their face

she was a victim of society ... a child the world chose to ignore
everyone keeping silent ... no one wanting to get involved

if only someone had defended her ... looked beyond the surface
but in the end her life and death served a purpose
it showed how apathetic everyone in this world is
and how little we value our future ... how far away from God we live

so today, on bended knee, I pray for her and for them

God bless the child with the vacant eyes
and forgive those who believed her smile
was anything more than a mask for her dying soul

Fire
11.29.06