The short walk home.

Andrew Walker aged 8 years old,
Doing as he was told,
Will leave West Hoxton Primary School at 3.14 pm today.
He will kick a can along the path.. all the way.
He will walk towards his home in Hope Street,
Smiling his winning smile to anyone he might meet.
Preferring the joy of walking to the pain of bus travel.
He will laugh, the joy of a child, as he watches life unravel.
It is only a walk of 200 metres but he will not get there.
Life will rise from darkness and despair,
And as he approaches the West Hoxton Basketball gym,
a black Ford Falcon will pull up close to him.
Leaving the car engine running, Mr Williams will go up to him and play.
And the light in his eyes will slowly fade away.
Mr Williams will offer him money to go into the toilets in the park.
Andrew will say no, explaining that his Mother will be worried if he’s out after dark.
At 5.12pm a local man John Ragen will go into the toilet,
And stop breathing for a moment.
He will quickly call the local Police.
And stare at Andrew now as cold as ice.
The Police will find little Andrew’s blood-stained body on the cold
concrete of the toilet block...just as they were told.
They will not find his pants or underpants.
They will find barbed wire tied around his hands.
At 8.14pm Mrs Walker, Andrew’s mother will be asked to identify
her son’s broken body as it lies in the morgue without dignity.
She will bite down on her clenched fist until it bleeds.
She will cease to feel anything as the time speeds.
She will weep tears of blood.
And fall upon the back lawn into the mud.
At 3.30 am Mrs Walker will take a bottle of sleeping pills,
And sleep, preferring the safety of darkness to the horror of the light that kills.
Her last words in this dark world will be “I love you Andy Pandy.”