SLAUGHTER OF INNOCENCE


The balding man sits compiling his next move 
That mortgage hangs around his neck, now feeling like a noose 
The new gas bill, oh God, how bad he feels 
Those kids he can’t reject, his emotional success 

He's a man of set opinion; the weight of the world sits in his hands 
He just cannot seem to reason so he will never understand 
They just won’t listen to hardly anything he says 
They simply smile politely, then with one accord turn away 

A son stands at the pond observing the creation that is nature 
Mother prepares dinner, roasting bacon taints the air 
Dog sits as master barks, then leaps lovingly into the car 
He waves and smiles emotionally, his assurance that they will go far 
The stakes rise as each owner unfolds plans, men tempt and bait each other, money exchanges hands 
Animal love now snarling hatred, muzzle unlocked hair raised 
He smirks from behind the wooden fence and shouts his destitute his praise 

Teeth tear, blood splashes the face of a young child playing 
She cries out in disapproval but daddy’s now immune to what she is saying 
Driven mad and into frenzy, limbs torn, skin is shorn 
Like sex perverts at their peep show, this is the ultimate in porn 

Eyes glare. Beast and master. Animals both, crazed and weary 
There can only be one real winner here; the results are now seen clearly 
Teeth marks bare where fur once protected, flesh hangs dangling in shreds 
Their faces grimace rejected strips of meat exposed, selected 
Bloodstains and saliva splatter the fuel of precious life 
Master and servant segregate the ritual sacrifice 

The sacrifice of innocents who obeyed the spoken law 
Tired beyond indurance but the spectators cry for more 
Death before dishonor a demand that is so obscene 
The men they appraise each other to keep their conscience clean 
Laughter hides the guilt they feel at every savage blow 
Someone whispers "cruelty" but they don’t want to know 
The balding man stands silent as slave fights for life 
He thinks of all the good things that he has promised to his wife 

She caught a glimpse of God through the windscreen of his car 
She tried to rationalise her looks but time don't heal the scars 
Some vague association she feels with the loser of the stake 
She stares into those sightless eyes, what use for heaven sake? 
The TV flickers images of the ideals she once knew 
The fresh young girls displaying soap to keep us clean and new 
She shrugs and folds her arms as he constructs the wooden box 
To hold his faded hope that took the heaviest of knocks 

Like pissing in the ocean, their options disappear 
As they think about the overheads, they know the taste of fear 
Kids to feed and clothing they must show how much they care 
But how to tell the birthday gift is lying dead out there 

What should have paid for birthday cards went on the prime cut beef 
Now celebrations of their birth make way for tears of grief 
Did only what they thought was best to give some sense of pride 
To give the kids a place in life and now the dream has died 
And how to show his love for her, now she repels his touch 
His remaining sense of manhood kicked away just like a crutch 
He promised what he couldn’t give, the masters ruling word 
Urged the beast to glory, but the servant never heard  

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