Bolstering the Human Spirit

She said they broke his spirit;
She said it wasn't fair--it
wasn't right.
He fought the good fight,
Trying to do right,
in the midst of his plight.
Some didn't see it that way,
and tore him down each day.
His heart always good,
For truth he's always stood,
He'd had enough;
And just gave up
An altered fate;
Partly because of hate.

That woman broke the young boy's spirit,
Her voice I know and fear it,
he had to bear it.
She called him dumb
in front of everyone;
perhaps her sinister idea of fun.
Over nothing he did,
He accepted this bid,
Averted my eyes,
All I did was sigh,
I didn't even reply.
I let it go to avoid her going for me,
Should have spoken up for her class to see.

I try not to break a child's spirit;
sometimes I do--I fear it,
in what I do or say,
in my sarcastic way,
Outside myself I see how it hurts both young and old,
I realize, I must challenge and change, not become cold.

I should bolster the human spirit,
Nurture each person around me to be able to bear it,
When others tear them apart,
I can be the voice to help heal a heart.