'Born Innocent' Poem by isaiah barber

Born innocent
The beauty of a child
Forced into this world
A grand space in time

Embracing life
As life intended
A grand world
Sky's the limit

Who will that child become
What parents do they have
They look up to them
To learn from them

what's in your mind?
What is in your eyes?
Are you prepared
For what is to come

To lead a child
To teach and preach
To show them the way
How to behave

Child did not choose
Now who will they become?
Who will decide their fate?
And who are you to judge them?

They leaned on you
They sought you
Looked up to you
Died because of you

Another child mocked
One heads to the hangman
Another is cast out
Bullied, teased
Not good enough
Not strong enough
Not man enough
Not pretty enough
Not smart enough
Not wicked enough
Not a good liar
Not good at your game
There goes another one
To the grave
To the chopping block
Towards the ripper
Who is their father, their mother
What did you do?

Yet they're the problem?
Maybe they needed better parents
Or better role models
A better beginning