Guilty as Charged  

 If a single parent jumps from the fourteenth floor
If a debt swamped family are scared to open their front door
If an innocent child is battered and abused
If a terrified parent stands unjustly accused

We are all guilty

If a student failing grades takes their own life
if an alcoholic husband is allowed to beat up his wife
if a teenager dies from a drink and drugs bender
if a gay man is murdered from being different from his gender

We are all to blame

If a pensioner dies from being lonely and cold
If a rape victim is silenced and nobody’s told
If an ex-mental patient dies in a lion’s enclosure
if a life is damaged through media exposure

We are all part of it

If a man is knee capped for telling the truth
if a child through liberal schooling is robbed of their youth
if a killer is freed as a result of good behavior
if we believe that money is our only saviour

We are all blameworthy

If a paedophile is allowed to remain a catholic priest
If one starving child is deprived of a feast
If our youth are completely deprived of hope
if a mother on drugs is unable to cope

We are all culpable

If we allow a nuclear warhead to be attached to a rocket
if we think we can solve all this from the change in our pocket
If we do nothing as usual but moan and bleat
if we crucify each other nailing hands and feet

We are all part of the problem

it’s not enough to care in our head
action not words is needed instead
no one is exempt from this poetic abuse
if we still do nothing we have no excuse

We all remain guilty as charged