Prisoners

Somewhere between the cotton fields and acres of barbed wire
exists a strip mine of human dignity
A hamster wheel
A treadmill
A path to nowhere
Many different extremes of heart pliability under the same oppressive roof
Though all were created in the image of the One who is true and pure
Who chooses to be cast into a world where your mother cares more about her crack fix than you and you've never looked into your father's eyes?
Sure, at some point everyone must take responsibility
A lifetime of bad decisions can't be blamed on circumstances alone
Yet, aren't those words coming from a mouth whose feet have never walked down anything but a privileged path?
The answer escapes me but the words that keep resounding in my head are ones like
MERCY
and
REDEMPTION
I hear things like justice and consequences too, but they are more of a whisper now
As obligation the gesture is diminished in value, but as an act coming directly from the heart,
Not based on worthiness,
Love becomes a soothing balm
An adhesive that mends all the little pieces of broken hearts
A reminder that you are not this number stamped on all of your clothes,
that has replaced your name
but You are someone worthy
because Love has made it so.