Wounded liberty

Life Support

The sacred cry of a child touches every heart

When young life makes its presence known.

But what if this cry cannot be heard?

Is there already life inside the womb?

A tree falls in the forest with no witness

And though no one sees, it is fallen still.

They are silent, but we cannot be silent.

They are helpless, so we must help them.

With words and signs and prayers to God,

We can make their voices heard.

We have the right to life, a divine blessing;

Countless innocents never get that chance.

The many uncertain women are victims, too.

What if pressure pushes from all sides?

They say that it's their choice,

But what is it they are choosing?

To keep or kill the fruit of the womb –

A choice no one should have to make.

It's not a matter of women’s rights;

We are talking about a human life.

When did life become a choice?

A culture that chooses death is suicidal.

Liberty is wounded when life has no value.

When will this madness end?

Editor’s Note: The above poem is a collaborative effort by the officers of Life Support, a pro-life student organization at the University of Maine: Michael Arell ’12, Maria “Rocio” Fernandez ’11, Peter Fitzgerald ’12, Calvin Mako ’12, Michael O’Leary ’12, and Emily Pike ’12. The poem was written two lines at a time with the writers alternating in no set order.