that’s the way it is

“Remember,” a church lady

proclaimed, “for every child, there is

a mother who loves him.”

I bowed my head, wishing

with everything within me

that what she believed were true

Children need to learn to love

and many, being given so little themselves or, neglected or abused,

learn, rather, to regard others as they

have been considered and behave

as they have seen modeled for them

A child must learn to love

If his caretakers cannot or do not cherish

can we who see, afford not to give

whatever we can?