the dust of empty spaces
washes off children's faces
refresh and restore
the lean veins
of the desolate young
there are hyena's in hearts
of the infants in Africa
find them where crying
jackals listen and they call
warriors whose bullets
would be blessings
they came and gathered
the little ones
in belated consolation
an orphanage raised
and oranges grew
a mission of breastplates
for the fatherless
where dust flinches
in the faces of love
Elna Nel
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mission-3/