FORGOTTEN SISTER

Ten-year old girl by the dump in the alley
Sniffing glue, mesmerized, melancholy

Too hungry to work, too poor to study
What's her name? What’s her story?

Aching hunger, distress of regress
Her fists tightly clenched at her chest

Knees by her chin
Her light head spins within

Skin and bone, alone, disowned, prone to be unknown

Hot in the day, cold at night
Never a protector to help her fight
No one to show her the light
A light to outshine her plight with fresh sight

Low self-esteem
Her tears were a stream

Eyes tapped dry
Crusted eyes no longer cry

No self-worth - disbelief in herself
Her potential unrealized - stored on the shelf
Instead of restoration of self

Could she be the next Einstein or Mozart?
Smarts or arts to top future charts?

No bed, no roof, no toilet

No place to go, so she squats on the gutter
Onlookers shutter, they mutter and utter,
“What’s the matter with this barbaric other?”

Regular shame – slashing her name
Infamous beggar – dishonorable fame

This is survival, no hope of revival
No system upheaval or reputation retrieval

Life feels overwhelmingly dark
She wants to disembark

Leave her problems behind
No peace of mind
Only death of some kind

Thinking of options to take her life
All it would take is the edge of a knife

But all she can find is rusty old wire
The only way to get any higher

Schizophrenic glances - no more chances
Unprofitable dances, still no advances

She glances at me with her wide eyes glazed
Then stares past me into foggy haze

Finally I see who she is – now I see her
Now I recognize that she’s my sister!
Why didn’t I see this much earlier?

No longer a stranger in this overcrowded city
I need compassion instead of passive pious pity
Action to replace my complacency

What can I do to lessen her pain?
What can I do to loosen her chain?

What is the root of her hopeless affliction?
Her life or mine – Which is fact? Which is fiction?

It’s God’s image in her I see
Why is it her, instead of me?
What could my responsibility be?

Why do I reach out with such reservation?
In the midst of such desperation

So unfair, how does God even dare?
But where is my heart and am I willing share?
Am I willing to live out my prayer?

How can I bring reconciliation?
To help restore God’s beautiful creation?
I have a revelation of obligation
As I start living a life of application!
Living in Christ’s authentic imitation
In any location with whatever vocation

How can I start, and then see this through?
With this fragile life who is valuable too

Far too much fretting over sins I commit
I sin just the same with the good I omit

Jesus…

Help me to pray and to act through your grace
Help me to see past religion and race

Help us realize harsh reality, God
Tear down our fake safe secure façade

Give us your Spirit and revive our short breath
As we remember your life and your death

But death becomes life if we trust in your name
You’ve buried our sin with your suffering shame

As we serve humanity we serve in your midst
Remind us our lives are only a mist