To Kill The Child

The child lay

In the starlit night

Safe in the glow of his Donald Duck light

How strange to choose to take a life

How strange to choose to kill a child

Hoover, Blaupunkt, Nissan Jeep

Nike, Addidas, Lacoste and cheaper brands

Cadillac, Amtrak, gasoline, diesel

Our standard of living, could this be a reason

That we would choose to kill the child

That we would choose to kill the child

Allah, Jehovah, Buddah, Christ

Confucius and Kali and reds, beans and rice

Goujons of sole, ris de veau, ham hocks

Lox bagels and bones and commandments in stone

The Bible, Koran, Shinto, Islam

Prosciutto, risotto, falafel and ham

Is it dogma, doughnuts, ridicule faith

Fear of the dark, or shame or disgrace

That we would choose to kill the child

That we would choose to kill the child

It's cold in the desert

And the space is too big

The rope is too short

And the walls are too thick

I will show you no weakness

I will mock you in song

Berate and deride you

Belittle and chide you

Beat you with sticks

And bulldoze your home

You can watch my triumphant procession to Rome

Best seat in the house

Up there on the cross

Is it anger or envy, profit or loss

That we would choose to kill the child

That we would choose to kill the child

Take this child and hold him closely

Keep him safe from the holy reign of terror

Take this child hold him closely

Take this child to the moral high ground

Where he can look down on the bigots and bully boys

Slugging it out in the yard