Faces of the Children

“A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children;

And she would not be comforted, because they are not.”

—– Matthew 2:18

 

Faces of the children

Faces of the children,

precious and beautiful,

show and tell photos,

proud parents , grandparents,

eager to share

these treasures

of the heart.

 

Faces of the children,

whose eyes haunt me

glazed and hollow

starved, dehydrated

neglected and abused

unwanted, rejected

victims of murder, war

and deportation policies.

 

Faces of the children,

forced into child labor

victims of racism

pornography and rape

child marriage

domestic violence

and bullying.

 

Faces of the children,

politicians so eager

for photo ops

with children

then abandon them

preferring

to join hands

with the NRA

and the 1%.

 

Faces of the children,

all whose lives

are cut short.

Rachel weeping

through the centuries

refusing to be comforted.

When will we care

enough?

Donna Butler, SP

 

I wrote this poem in response to the death of Shaylyn Ammerman , 15 months old, who was abducted, brutally raped, strangled and murdered in Indiana, March, 2016.

I invite you to pray with the poem and with the song, Faces of the Children, by Kathy Sherman, CSJ. and choir directed by Marc Coderre.