A FRIEND FOR NEEDFUL THINGS Children, with heart-filled love and eyes a marvel, sparkling, Seeking joy in everything: a tree, string, tire or maybe flowers Or thoughts aloft with sunlit butterflies or yonder starling Or in reverie, wisdom of what The Christ taught His Followers Children’s ears when young, oft’ filled by unseen speakers, Might hear, in evil’s shout or whispers or in mothers’ crying, The truth: like what grown-ups did for food or their sneakers; Sometime why an Aunt’s veins have sores or a friend is dying. Children might never ask but wonder why starlit sky thunders And afterwards come people running by and are never seen again; Or why then friends come to school in rags or in fewer numbers Until no one’s ever home but them; then fear and pain explain: Evil comes as ones friend; a neighbor, near or far away, always as a dream-come-true (a carefree life of happiness, fulfilling every need); its barters for ones honesty, self-respect, then liberty at the end—when that neighbor’s dream’s ones master—its yoke is greed. ©Copyright George Thompson, Sr. 2014
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 21:41:41 +0000