Fairy Tales [2] Poem by Gert Strydom

How great were the intentions
of the writers of children's stories at times
where in their storytelling of the struggle
between light and darkness
righteousness does always win

and the people in Hansen and Gretchen,
little red riding hood
and even Cinderella at the end
are happy to eternity,
but in reality

there rages a struggle
where demons do try to measure power with God,
where the monster, the ogre, the fiend,
the witch, the dragon and the wolf
do never forget their thirst for blood

where there are children that grow up on the street,
without having a own home
where they can lie their heads down
with food that are prepared tasty

and sometimes there are people
that does murder others cruelly,
that does rape women and children,
rob just whatever they can find
and do constantly return with more envoys from hell,

of this world's dreadfulness there is seldom written
and children do believe that soldiers, the police are heroes,
are not truly aware of the blood on their hands.

© Gert Strydom