All these are mine

And these, all these are mine

I know each sinew of their small frames

I hear their fear at night

I watch their fun

And when they laugh, so do I

in joy I see them invent themselves

even their shyness is a delight to me

I cherish their innocence

And these, all these are mine.

And if, when I return

I find just one who has been defiled

One desecrated by your corruption

One invaded by your lust

One chained to your perversion

One burgled of purity

One dominated by your tyranny

One diseased through your indulgence

One famished by your inequity

One reliant on your base favours

One separated from Me through your wicked fancy,

One, who once was Mine

Then I promise

You will never see the sun again

All you will receive is darkness

It will have no end

And you will not know peace

It will be terrible and just on that day

Because these, all these are Mine.

STEWART HENDERSON

(From the Tear Fund video and stage production: Broken Image)