Broken Vessel

We wonder why there are hobos
Once men of status and wealth
We wonder why a beauty queen took
Her life
We scorn the emotional Quasimodos
And avoid those filled with anger and strife
We shudder at a homeless man's health
And vigorously judge them according to the "book"
When we pass a prostitute
We give her "the look"
Not sympathising with the wrong
But hold on let me give you the short and long
What happened to them?
What broke them?
Did they ever long to touch His hem?
Who got their hearts and broke them?
Who brought an axe to their life's stem?
Did they choose that road?
Was it easy to carry their load?
Do quick are we to talk
Yet we would never walk their walk
We stare ourselves squarely in the face
Our mirrors reflect our self righteous ways
In the Name of holy men
We bully those who are weak
And in our arrogant hate
We forget our Savior was meek
We kick fallen men
and sneer at their home
A pig pen
You know not of their fears
Gone are you when their pain leers
Where were your ears when theirs were stung
By stabbing words of hurt
Abusive threats and cutting insults
Did you seem them before that rut?
Did you watch them give in to that cold arms of not being good enough?
Were you aware of how in their face every door of opportunity was shut
When they felt misunderstood were you there?
Could you in their broken faces stare?
Broken vessels
Who once held precious oil
Lost their self worth
And through death
Wish to be birthed
Cracked by circumstance
Smashed by disappointment
Pain and regret
Tears a drink that wets the bed
Broken vessels
Lives lived
Who are now society's messes
Branded the scum of the earth
The burnt out embers of the hearth
Suffering imprisons them
Hopelessly beyond repair
Those who learnt that life's unfair
Instead of sneering
Instead of adding pain
Let's pray for those who are slain
If that's too much for you and me
At least let them be