Our Children by Charl Landsberg

A Poem A Day writing prompt… Our Children Are

Our children are a pleasure
Our only tacit treasure
And yet by far
It’s them who are
Abused beyond all measure

The father’s fist that maims them
A government that blames them
The tithing plates
That cash that sates
The priest whose penis shames them

Each drop of blood our children paid
Each tiny corpse to rest we’ve laid
Each little life
So filled with strife
Indictment of charge betrayed

Charl Landsberg is a South African poet and musician deeply invested in issues of human and children’s rights as well as issues surrounding poverty, rape, HIV and AIDS, sexuality and gender, class, race and issues of colonialism and globalization.