The Costs of Lust and Silence: A Grievous Lament

See a child sodomized in the locker room.
What then to do? Quick, leave the room,
Tell your boss, and it’s no more yours to act.
Boss tells his boss, for he must, it’s no big deal,
Who tells his boss, who tells his boss the same.
Water down the tale, and quietly move on.

Eight years and eight boys later, maybe nine,
Or maybe more, first child becomes adult,
Now brave enough to speak up for himself.
The pattern and evidence speaks louder yet.
Four sets of silent lips, tumble one by one,
Eight scarred children stumble on in silence.

The alleged predator says he’s devastated,
Who would not be? – place on suicide watch.
For us all, weigh the worth of each human life.

John Walford, 11/11/11, Penn State Day.