"Images of Broken Light"

"Images of Broken Light"

Freshly ordained, man of the cloth
So pure of heart and pure of mind
Kind and caring, offering help
Easing the burdens of mankind.

Inside the church, the candles burn
Reflected light cast all around
Seeming halos flash behind him
This saintly man on hallowed ground.

Blessing the children, saying prayers
With gentle hands and caring smile
Touching each face, gentle caress
An act of love or act of guile?

Children’s voices tell confessions
With whispered sins and childhood fears
He kneels with them and holds them close
But all is not as it appears.

He hears their secrets and their sins
He knows them well, this man of God
He uses this to gain their trust
His pious stance is a façade.

His church becomes his hunting ground
Its sanctity this man defies
The holy candlelight reflects
The tears from broken children’s eyes.

Broken souls and broken halos
Caused by this twisted human blight
Stained glass windows still reflecting
Their images of broken light.

rhyme: abcb
meter: 8-8-8-8
3/30/07