STORIES

I WANT TO LIVE

There was a sweet boy
in a little French village by the sea
Every day
he would race to town to buy fresh bread
for his large family
He felt such pride in his mission
After all, his family depended on him
He left before breakfast, slipping out before Papa
finished the morning chores
The walk was long, but it wasn't hard
He loved to see the sunrise come over the mountains
and hear the birds sing out their first songs of the day
The cool air caused him to quicken his pace,
but still he did not tire easily
The walk was always a joy

Soldiers came to town one day
and asked the people to stop their businesses
and close their stores;
to hasten to leave for they would be ransacked
if they stayed
Frightened, the boy told his family all that he had heard
Their town, their home, all that they had
would be taken from them
For what?
They never knew

The soldiers came and forced the people to leave
They could take nothing with them
Unto the next town, they traveled,
but as they walked the long, hot road
of afternoon sun;
without water, without food,
without supplies
they died
each
one
~
Why did the soldiers come?
What crime had these people committed
to have everything they had
their lives
snuffed out?

They struggled to live
to catch one last breath
but had nothing
to sustain them

~ ~ ~ ~
AND DOES NOT A CHILD
ABORTED KNOW THIS SAME LOSS
THIS SAME INJUSTICE
THIS CRUELTY
AND LACK OF COMPASSION?

WHY, PEOPLE, WHY?

AN EYE FOR AN EYE
AS THOSE WHO ABORT
AND CONDONE ABORTION
CONDONE MURDER
COMMIT MURDER
WILL
KNOW THE SAME
THE VERY SAME FEAR
UNTIL
THEIR END


XVI