Where is the Hero?

the baby lies within the womb

helpless and yet unafraid

for little does he know of the outside world

that has already determined his fate

the young girl stands amidst the well-attired crowd

waiting for the music to resound and the celebration to commence

little does she know that she stands within a church among the bloodthirsty

and that a sacrifice is needed to keep the wolves content

one friend betrayed another

for profit, for gain, for friendly acclaim

and there was no justice

nothing to quell the pain

the young men and women were crucified

bought into silence

or imprisoned some way

none were victorious

those who loved were crushed and slain

those who laid all upon the altar were burned

the ones who refused to compromise the truth could not escape

in the wicked man's place the righteous and innocent were spit on and hanged

"where were the heroes?" the children asked their parents

as the stories of our times were borne by the retelling of one generation to the next

but there were no heroes

so the parents would kindly ask their child, "but what do you mean?"

and the children would wonder how it could be so

and agonized in their dreams over what could have been

if you had been courageous