The Ballad Of Oscar Romero Poem by Francis Duggan

His only crime was to live good and decent
And the day he was murdered a dream was destroyed
He stood by El Salvador's poor and downtrodden
And he lived for the people and for them he died.

History will be kind to Oscar Romero
And memories of him won't fade with passage of time
And may God in his forgiveness forgive the man's killers
If they seek forgiveness for their awful crime.

History will be kinder to Oscar Romero
More to those than who took his life away
His only crime was to stand by the people
But look at the price the great man had to pay.

Murdered in church where he often did worship
And where all of his people assembled to pray
El Salvador has it's black days of sorrow
But death of Romero still it's blackest day.

Murdered because he spoke for oppressed people
Murdered because of the truth that he spoke
He spoke for human rights, freedom and justice
And by torture and beatings he could not be broke.

They gave to El Salvador a great martyr
Oscar Romero is to be a saint
He died because he spoke out for his people
And only the purest can die free of taint.

His is a story for bards and for writers
Here is a man who deserve all his fame
And those who came and murdered him in his chapel
Gave to Romero an immortal name.

His only crime was to live good and decent
And the day he was murdered a dream was destroyed
He stood by El Salvador's poor and downtrodden.
And he lived for the people and for them he died.