But For A Child's Smile Poem by Lynn W. Petty

A drunk, pale and grave,
Sat on the curb,
Destitute and homeless,
Destined for self-destruction.
People stepped around him,
With a look of scorn, leaving
Him to his own ruin.

A mother, pushing a child
In a stroller, stopped to speak
With a Priest.
The child, being on the same eye
Level as the drunk,
Looked deep into his eyes,
Smiled without disapproval, accusation
Judgment or fear.

The drunk, aware of the terrible vitality
Of his error,
Stood erect, brushed himself
Off and walked into the
Church.