SIGNS

cry justice
cry freedom
cry action
before it's too late


WHAT IS JUSTICE?
: : :
"Where's Papa going with that ax?" said Fern
to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.
"Out to the hog house," replied Mrs. Arable.
"Some pigs were born last night."
"I don't see why he needs an ax," continued Fern,
who was only eight.
"Well," said her mother, "one of the pigs is a runt.
 It's very small and weak, and it will never amount to anything.
So your father has decided to do away with it."
"Do away with it?" shrieked Fern.  "You mean kill it?  
Just because it's smaller than the others?"
Mrs. Arable put a pitcher of cream on the table.
"Don't yell, Fern!" she said.  "Your father is right.
 The pig would probably die anyway."
Fern pushed a chair out of the way and ran outdoors.
 The grass was wet and the earth smelled of springtime.
 Fern's sneakers were sopping by the time she caught up
with her father.
"Please don't kill it!" she sobbed.  "It's unfair."
Mr. Arable stopped walking.
: : :
-- Charlotte's Web, by E.B. White --
: : :
What is justice?
Is it the survival of the strongest?
The decimation of the weakest?
Or is it something else entirely?
What is justice to you, Joaquin?

Have you the courage of little Fern Arable
to fight for the justice you believe in?
We know that you do.
We know that you will.

You were born to know justice.
You were born to stand.
You were born for such a time as this.

Just because he was smaller than the others
the young pig
was sentenced to die,
yet with the children of this country
it makes no difference --
big or small
they are simply
not wanted.

Every day
abortion kills more than 4,000 children
within the womb.
Once in a great while
a child will survive the torture
to see the light of the outside world --
only to meet the same lonely,
unwept-for fate as the others
because he has been marked
and is not considered human.
He has no right to life
so as he gasps in deep breaths
and struggles to cry out
they stop him
or just turn away until he stops.

A holocaust is being wrought on our soil, Joaquin,
and it shames our souls before all of Heaven.
Someday we will be asked, "And what did you do?"
as the tragedy is viewed in the light of truth.
How will you and I answer?

One of the most massive tragedies
in all of history is happening
just outside the safety of our homes,
right down the street,
in legal clinics found in nearly every city --
and who will stop it?
Just as the Jews were taken from their homes
and sent on a death journey
the children
the most innocent of victims
are being forced from their means
of life and security
because they are the weaker
the voiceless
the unwanted of society
and the world is as apathetic
for the cause of right
as in every generation before.

Ask yourself
the question we will all be asked one day,
What have you done?
What have you done to stop
the bloodshed, Joaquin?
Do not stop
until you could look a holocaust survivor
in the eye
and say that you have done all
to stop this holocaust of holocausts.

Be just.
Be righteous.
Be steadfast.
Be non-violent in your approach --
do not let evil get the best of you,
rather,
overcome evil through good.
Be the hero
this story in history
needs.

The sheep are slaughtered
while the shepherds look on
there is no mercy shown
no compassion given...

Take up your staff, Joaquin.
Hold it firmly in your hand!
Lead!

The sheep are slaughtered
while the shepherds look on,
but a young boy approaches . . .

Is justice the cry of his heart?

Tell us.
: : :

A NEW DAY

AND THE SHEEP ARE SLAUGHTERED
WHILE THE SHEPHERDS LOOK ON
THERE IS NO MERCY SHOWN
NO COMPASSION GIVEN
AND YET, THE MARKS ARE CLEAR
WHO ARE THE SHEEP
AND WHO ARE THE SHEPHERDS

HOW CAN THERE BE SUCH CALLOUSNESS?
HOW CAN THERE BE SUCH DISREGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS?
AND YET, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHEEP, RIGHT?

YOU STAND TO PROTECT THE SHEEP, JOAQUIN
BUT I HAVE A GREATER TASK FOR YOU, YOUNG MAN
YOU HATE INJUSTICE
YOU HATE CRUELTY
AND YET, YOU HAVE NOT SEEN
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE CHILDREN
IN THE DAYS TO COME

SAVE THE SHEEP, YES
BUT ALSO, MY FRIEND, HELP TO SAVE MY "SHEEP"
MY INNOCENT LAMBS
WITHOUT FATHER
WITHOUT MOTHER
WITHOUT HUMAN SHEPHERD

YOU KNOW NOT WHAT I SPEAK OF, YET
BUT YOU WILL
AND I WILL INFUSE YOU WITH MY PASSION
MY ZEAL
TO PROTECT

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK, SON
BUT THERE IS A PREFACE TO THIS WORK
AND IT STARTS THIS DAY
ONE MORE DAY AND IT WOULD BE TOO LATE
IF YOU FEEL A TUG AT YOUR SPIRIT
IT IS I
THERE IS A WORK TO BE DONE
AND I HAVE STARTED IT
YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS
JUST ASK

AND THE DREAMS BEGIN
UPON ONE YOUNG MAN
TO CLEANSE
TO SET APART
TO RAISE UP AS A CONQUEROR
TO DIVIDE KINGDOMS
TO SET MARKS
TO BRING FORTH JUSTICE
TO SAVE THE INNOCENT
TO INFLAME THE FALSE SHEPHERDS

RISE UP, YOUNG MAN
YOUR GOD IS WITHIN YOU TO DO MIGHTY WORKS
RISE UP
UNTO A NEW DAY

DO NOT DESPISE THE CLEANSING WHICH I MUST DO
DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK ME TO HELP YOU SURVIVE
BUT IN YOUR SURVIVAL
MUST ALSO BE
YOUR COMPLETE SURRENDER

MY JOB
YOU'LL SEE

HANG TIGHT!
GOD

*
A panic stricken cry pierces the stillness
and jolts me awake from my innocent slumber
I struggle to peer through the darkness
and find that which puts my soul on edge
and tears at my heart without mercy
Agony and pain darken the night sky with a shroud of haze
I search in vain

The field looks peaceful and green
horses graze in the West, sheep to the North
and a storm that has passed lingers in the East
I walk slowly, drinking in the beauty,
but feel in my spirit that something is amiss
I come upon a barn bordering the open land
and naively wander inside
as I pass through the entrance,
I notice that the door hangs loosely on its hinges
and a small padlock swings limp and useless
from the iron latch
the inside is in havoc and every tool
and solid surface is covered with a thick layer
of dust and dirt
"Is a thief about or is the farmer away,"
I wonder to myself
I come upon a small, old object without
a speck of dust on it as several unnerving questions
race through my mind
I fiddle with the oddly shaped, cold metal tool
until the startling Truth strikes me
with a staggering blow
"How can they justify this?"

The sea is calm and peaceful
smooth like glass and colored
with the reflecting array of a Summer sunset
I sit on the sand fingering small shells in my hand
and pondering their origin as a sweet breeze blows
on my face and cools my anger
I look out and notice the water drawing away
a small child runs toward it, and on the way,
delightfully examines what was previously hidden from sight
I sense danger
I feel a darkness, a deep black darkness coming over me
I stand up and try to motion of the destruction to come,
I try to wave my arms and yell, but I cannot
What can I do?

I am in a dark tunnel
deep beneath the earth
I feel that I am suffocating
"Where does this way lead?"
asks a voice beside me, or behind me
I dare not turn
I am lost already
"Who are you?"
I ask without slowing my pace
I hear my footsteps on the damp earth below me
I hear dripping water
I feel warm air on my neck that makes my spine tingle
"Who are you?"
I say again
louder this time
I hear a scuffling at my feet and then a shrill noise
in the distance
"I can't tell you that"
the voice beside me whispers
I reach out my hand
but I hear the person pull away before I can grab them
now I hear running
it echos behind me and ahead of me
I know not how far away now
it sounds like it is coming closer
but then it gets no louder
"Where are we?"
I implore, my voice now wavering,
as I fight to stay, and sound, calm

I hold a child within my arms and gaze
on eyes of pure wonder
I know a soul has been created
I know it will know love and hate
justice and injustice
reward and punishment
and that it will make choices
good and bad
I put my finger within the small hand outstretched
and I am bound forever to this life
"I wonder at your purpose
dear little one
I wonder what your days will hold
Will they be full of peace, full of laughter,
full of promises kept and many, many new discoveries?
Will you go to war someday or will you raise a family?
What are you destined for, joy of my own?
What will your days hold and how will they be numbered
- with prosperity or strife?"
I gaze on this future generation
this newly born creation of promise and hope
now realized
and I know what I was born to do
I know why I was made for such a time as this
Doubt is gone and terror made null
I know what I must do
The Accomplice
*

A CHILD'S HAND
A DARKENED SKY
THE SKY AT MIDNIGHT
AN AWAKENED MEMORY

IT WILL ALL COME TOGETHER
AS IF IT WAS MADE AS ONE PIECE
AND STILL, YOUR LIFE IS JUST PIECES
SECTIONS OF VICTORY
DREAMS OF DEFEAT
BUT THERE IS A HAND TO HOLD
AS YOU WOULD HOLD YOUR NEWLY BORN CHILD'S
I HOLD YOURS
I WILL MAKE ALL THE PIECES FIT TOGETHER
I WILL ERASE THE HORROR
AND INCREASE THE LIGHT
I WILL EMBLAZON THE TRUTH
EVEN UPON YOUR FOREHEAD
AND YOU WILL LEAD AN ARMY
TO PROTECT
IN SUCH A TIME AS THIS
FOR THE WAR APPROACHES
YOU WEAR YOUR UNIFORM IN SECRET
BUT UPON YOUR CHEST
ARE THE STORIES WRITTEN AND TOLD
WHO WILL RISE UP TO SAVE THE CHILDREN?
WHO WILL ENLIST THE OTHERS
THE ONES JUST BACK FROM THEIR IDLE TIME BY THE SEA
THE ONES WHO WERE CRUEL IN THE PAST
BUT HAVE BEEN BREATHED UPON
TO DO A NEW WORK
A COMPASSION ADVENTURE
A NEWLY FORMED PASSION
OF LIFE

WILL IT BE YOU?
YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE ALREADY
OUT IN FRONT OF THEM ALL
WITH SWORD UNSHEATHED
EYES CLOSED
FOR YOU SEE A DIFFERENT FRONT
AND YOU ARE READY
YOUR HEART RACES
YOUR LIMBS TINGLE WITH DREAD
AND YET, WHEN MY VOICE SPEAKS
SOFTLY AND CLEARLY TO YOU
YOU WILL MOVE FORWARD
TO FIGHT IN THIS LAST WAR
THE WAR FOR THE CHILDREN
FOR I AM THE GREAT SHEPHERD
AND I WILL SEND MANY
TO PROTECT MY SHEEP
BUT NONE
GREATER
THAN
YOU,
MY FRIEND
NONE
GREATER
THAN YOU
FOR IN YOUR DREAMS
WILL COME THE FULL STORY
IN ALL IT'S GORY SHEATHE AND DISPLAYING
AT LAST, WITH YOUR HELP
MY GLORY
I WILL MAKE YOU READY
EVEN
TODAY
EVEN
NOW

KNOW

A WHISPER IN THE WIND
THE SONG OF A SWEET SWALLOW
THE SOUND OF RUSTLING LEAVES
THE SEASONS CHANGE
BUT THE HEARTS GROW DIM
WAITING FOR CHANGE
WAITING FOR HOPE
LOOKING FOR A DELIVERER
SOMEONE TO COME AND TAKE CONTROL
OF ALL THAT HAS DEVOURED THIS COUNTRY

BUT IT WILL HAPPEN
ONE MAN AT A TIME
ONE WOMAN PRAYING AND FIGHTING
ONE CHILD RESISTING THE EVIL
ONE GRANDPARENT SHIELDING A GENERATION REMOVED
EACH PERSON HAS A TASK
EACH MUST PERFORM IN PERFECTION
WITH PASSION
BUT I AM TO BE THE ONE
WHO BRINGS FORTH THE VICTORY
THE ANSWER IN THE DARKNESS
THE COMMANDS TO THE SPIRIT

LISTEN CLOSELY
ASK ME TO BRING TO YOUR FULL ATTENTION
MY COMMANDS TO YOU
MY POWER WITHIN YOU
MY SUSTAINING STRENGTH
AND TO ALL YOU LEAD

TEACH THEM TO HEAR
CALL THEM TO OBEY
HASTEN THEM TO SURRENDER TO ME
SO THAT WE MAY OPERATE AS ONE
ONE
IMPASSIONED
TRUTH
EMBLAZONED
UNIT
OF
HOPE
AND
LIFE

ASK ME TO LEAD YOU
TO THE VICTORY
I HAVE SET FOR THIS TIME
THE PAST IS FADING
PAST GLORY NOW SPENT
NOW
ALL THAT MATTERS
ARE THE CHILDREN
AND MY INSTRUCTIONS
TO YOUR HEART

I COME
LISTEN
OBEY
WE WILL WIN!
THE CHILDREN WILL BE SAVED
TRUTH WILL BE HONORED
SACRIFICE WILL BE REWARDED
A NEW NATION
WE WILL BUILD TOGETHER
AS
ONE
~
GOD


STILL TO FIGHT