when death comes in large numbers all at once it’s like a sudden down pouring of rain that floods our consciousness shaking us to our very core but child death from hunger is more like a steady dripping in the background that we soon learn to ignore that sound we hear every ten seconds a child’s death a child’s death
i want
to
sincerely
express
my appreciation
for
your honest
statement
of
your deepest trepidations
but
as a mild point
of
perspective
i liked
to
call to your attention
to
this year’s
169 thousand deaths
of
mothers
that occurred
during
childbirth
oh
and
the
2 million hectares
of
forest
that has been lost
to erosion
erosion
produced
by
man’s negligence
of
the planet
oh
and one last thing
to mention
the
23 thousand people
who died
of
hunger
today
but
your serious
concerns
about
the availability
of
live lobsters
in
your local
market
will
of
course
be
given
appropriate
consideration
a child lies dead drive-by shooting not uncommon in this part of town no need for stares no need for prayers it’s just the way it is just the way it is a child lies dead a police shooting not uncommon in this part of town no need for stares no need for prayers it’s just the way it is just the way it is a child lies dead some kind of drug-head not uncommon in this part of town no need for stares no need for prayers it’s just the way it is just the way it is a child lies dead beaten by her pimp not uncommon in this part of town no need for stares no need for prayers it’s just the way it is just the way it is a child lies dead no medical care not uncommon in this nation now no need for stares no need for prayers it’s just the way it is just the way it is
