CHILDREN

CHILDREN

BY


FRANK A VOLLMER

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

CHRISTMAS IS FOR CHILDREN

WE’VE OFTEN HEARD IT SAID

PERHAPS WE’VE SAID IT OURSELVES

IF IT IS

THEN IT MUST BE SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE

WITH HORROR PORTRAYED AS FANTASY

WE DRESS THE CHILDREN IN COSTUME

AND THINK HOW CUTE

BUT THE REALITY

OF A PREGNANT TEENAGER

WITH THE COCKAMAMIE STORY OF AN ANGEL’S VISIT

HER FIANCEE

HURT

BUT TOO MUCH IN LOVE WITH HER

TO DENOUNCE HER

A BRIGHT MOMENT

WHEN A USELESS CHILDLESS WOMAN

BECOMES PREGNANT

AN OCCUPIED COUNTRY

RULED BY AN IRON MILITANT FIST

A JOBLESS IMMIGRANT

TRYING FOR WORK

WHO CAN’T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE

HOMELESS THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN

LOOKED DOWN UPON BECAUSE OF IT

SOLDIERS ORDERED TO KILL CHILDREN

NO ROOM IN THE INN FOR POOR PEOPLE

SIGNING UP FOR A CENSUS

THAT WILL IMPOSE MORE TAXES

WHILE THE RICH AMASS FORTUNES

WIDOWS CHEATED OUT OF THEIR INHERITANCE

SHEPHERDS

LOOKED DOWN ON

BECAUSE THEY DO NOT OBSERVE SABBATH

SCHOLARS SEEK HIM

WHICH UPSETS KING AND PRIESTS

NOT A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT SHOW

WITH CHILDREN IN BATHROBES

BUT A REALITY SHOW

WHERE MOST OF US LIVE

IT WOULD BE WELL IF THE CHARACTERS

WERE ADULTS

LIVING OUT THEIR ROLES

AS THEY WOULD IN REAL LIFE

PERHAPS A DESTITUTE MAN

LIVING IN A CARDBOARD BOX

WONDERING

WHAT HAPPENED TO GOD’S PLAN

WHY WOULD A SAVIOR COME

TO SUCH A HATEFUL WORLD

THAT CLEARLY DOESN’T WANT HIM

A WORLD THAT’S A DISAPPOINTMENT TO ITS CREATOR

WHY

BUT MY WAYS

ARE NOT YOUR WAYS

FOR IF AN OLD BARREN WOMAN

CAN HAVE A CHILD

THEN THE WORLD CAN HAVE A SAVIOR

WITH LABOR PAINS

BURSTING WITH SEED AND DREAMS

THE DREAMS THAT

THERE WILL NEVER BE HARM

OR WAR ON GOD’S HOLY MOUNTAIN

THAT LION AND LAMB SHALL DWELL PEACEFULLY

AS THE OLD WAYS

GIVE WAY TO THE NEW

CHILDREN IN BATHROBES

WILL LEAD THEM

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CHILDREN EVER YOUNG

CHILDREN EVER YOUNG

WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO MINISTER TO THOSE CHILDREN
WHO WALK TO THE SOUND OF A DIFFERENT DRUMMER
WHOSE VISIONS DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
WE ONLY DIMLY PERCEIVE
CHILDREN WHO ARE FOREVER YOUNG
CHILDREN WHO SEE THE WORLD WITH STARTLING CLARITY
WHO EVER TELL THE KING HE WEARS NO CLOTHES
CHILDREN WHO SHALL PROBABLY NEVER SIN
AND WHAT WE TRY TO DO
IS TO CRAM INTO THEIR LIVES
ALL THE JOY AND LAUGHTER WE CAN
TO GIVE THE CHILD A SENSE OF GOD'S PRESENCE AND AFFECTION
SO THAT ON THE DAY HE STANDS BEFORE HIS MAKER
HE MAY RECOGNIZE GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO HIM
A FRIEND

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LITTLE GIRL

LITTLE GIRL

I HAVE READ THE BIBLE

BEEN COMFORTED

BY PROMISES OF PEACE

AND SECURITY

BUT THEN I SEE A PICTURE OF A FOUR YEAR OLD

WHO DIED OF STARVATION

ON HER WAY TO A FOOD CENTER

I WONDER

WHAT HAPPENED TO GOD’S PLAN FOR HER

READ THE BIBLE OVER HER DEAD BODY

I’M SURE THAT CHRIST WELCOMED HER

WHAT GRAVE SIN DID SHE DO AT FOUR

THAT CAUSED THIS DEATH

DID SHE OR HER PARENTS SIN

WE GO TO SPAS

DIET

EXERCISE TO LOSE WEIGHT

SHE IS BUT SKIN AND BONES

WHEN ONE MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY IS HUNGRY

ALL OF US NO MATTER THE CLUB WE BELONG TO

SHOULD BE HUNGRY

BUT LIKE LAZARUS

UNDER THE RICH MAN’S TABLE

THE UNFORTUNATE

ARE UNSEEN

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SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN

SUFFER/ALLOW

SUFFER THE LITTLE CHILDREN

TO COME UNTO ME

SUFFER

AS IN ALLOW

WORDS I GREW UP WITH

NOT

LET THE CHILDREN SUFFER

WHEN OUR LITTLE WORLD IS SHATTERED

BY THE DEATH OF CHILDREN

WE ARE AGHAST

WOULD THAT WE WOULD TAKE THIS GREAT EMOTION

AND CHANNEL IT TO CONCERN

FOR ALL CHILDREN

WHO ARE HUNGRY

TRAUMATIZED BY BOMBING

OR KILLED

LIVING IN SLUMS

UNDER EDUCATED

SCORNED BY RACE

CREED

SOCIAL STATUS

DELIMBED BY MINES

OR KILLED

WOULD THE EMOTIONS

UNLEASHED BY THE DEATH

 OF OUR CHILDREN

WOULD SPREAD TO ALL CHILDREN

FOR THEY ARE ALL OUR CHILDREN

WE PRAY

OUR FATHER

OR SOME OTHER FORM

OF PARENTAL GODHEAD

WE ARE ALL

HIS CHILDREN

THE TEARS OF OTHERS

ARE OUR TEARS

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THERE IS A PLACE

THERE IS A PLACE


THERE IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN GO
WHO DIE BEFORE THEIR TIME
CAN I QUOTE IT
CHAPTER AND VERSE
THIS HEART-THOUGHT OF MINE
NO
YET I KNOW
IT MUST BE SO

FOR GOD WHO LOVES WORLD THE HE MADE
CRIES ALSO AT THE CRIMES
THAT ROB CHILDREN OF THEIR LAUGHTER
AND THEIR TIME

I WOULD RATHER BURN A HERETIC
WHO DECLARES A GOD OF LOVE WITHOUT PROOF
THAN TO PROCLAIM HIM AS ONE
WHO DOESN'T CARE
WHO MAKES RULES FOR CHILDREN
THEY CANNOT KEEP.

THERE IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN GO
WHO DIE BEFORE THEIR TIME
I DO NOT KNOW IT
BUT I KNOW

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THE CHILDREN

THE CHILDREN


WHY DID I REACT SO STRONG HE THOUGHT
THEY ONLY WANTED TO PROTECT ME
THE CHILDREN WANTED TO BE NEAR ME
I WAS QUICK TEMPERED WHEN THEY CHASED THEM
I WONDER WHY I CAME ON SO STRONG

BUT HE KNEW

IT HADN'T BEEN EASY
THE FINDING OF WORK
THE FATHER AN ALIEN IN A FOREIGN LAND
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
WHILE AWAY FROM HOME
TO BE TOLD TO FLEE
NO GOING BACK
NO TURNING AROUND
NO LOT'S WIFE PEEK
JUST GO

SO THE HOURS WERE LONG
AND THE BOY WAS GROWING
AND WHILE IT WAS UNDERSTOOD
THE EMPTY SPACES WERE THERE

HAVE I NOT COME
TO FILL THOSE EMPTY SPACES

LET THE CHILDREN
COME TO ME
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RACHAEL'S CHILDREN

RACHAEL'S CHILDREN

IS THERE EVER A GOOD TIME FOR GOD TO BE BORN
IS THERE EVER A TIME THAT WILL NOT CAUSE PAIN
HE OFTEN THOUGHT THESE THOUGHTS
SITTING WITH THE WOMEN
WHOSE CHILDREN HEROD HAD SLAIN
A THING HE DID OFTEN ON HIS BIRTHDAY

OH NOW THEY WERE CONSOLED
YEARS AND A LIFE LATER

DON'T COME THE TEMPTER HAD SAID
OILY VOICED AS USUAL
PRAISING EVIL NOT AS BAD BUT GOOD
OR EXPEDIENT
DON'T COME NOW

BUT THE EARTH WAS GROANING IN LABOR
AS THE EARTH IS ALWAYS GROANING IN LABOR
THERE IS ALWAYS NEED FOR GOD TO BE BORN

SO THE WOMEN WERE CONTENT TO BE IN HIS PRESENCE
BUT EACH ONE FELT A HOLLOWNESS OF YEARS
THAT HE COULD
BUT COULD NOT FILL
NOR CALL BACK THE WAIL OF RACHAEL
THE WAIL OF RACHAEL
FOR HER CHILDREN

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