Sitting on the couch in contemplation
Hopping from reality to daydream
I heard of a young child’s hopeless cry
Sucking his mother’s breast that had run dry
I saw people groomed for a feast
Sitting on upholstered spotless pews
In a large air-conditioned Christian church
Praying to God their faith would make them rich
A wooden cross hanging on the wall
Cast a sad glance, all dusty and forlorn
I saw half-naked children tied to a chair
Working with their hands like small machines
In a hot and semi-lighted old warehouse
Their faces drenched in a grimy sweat
Their cheeks carved by streaking tears
Not knowing why they had been born
I saw a weeping girl crouched on soiled floor
Her knees tightly squeezed, her head prostrate
Her skirt all torn, stained by the bastard seed
Of man’s most vile and desecrating deed
The radio played songs of Sunday’s choirs
My ears were deaf to those angelic tunes
Inside me I heard wailing and despair
Anger repressed, evil-begetting hate
I saw no beauty, no redeeming grace
Just broken hearts, a horrified face
I could no longer bear the stench of greed
The hopeless anguish of the oppressed in need
I went for a stroll deep in the woods
Treading on a blanket of dry snow
Patting tree trunks as I was passing by
Maples and birches naked and asleep
Green needles of old pine waved in the breeze
Tracks of moles and mice marking the snow
Footprints of fox and deer seeking a meal
Nature seemed immersed in silent prayer
I felt at peace with the universe
My eyes were blind, my ears deaf
The world kept on groaning, its cry
Rocked the heavens and pierced the open sky