A young girl
and her mother
are visiting
a department store.

One moment
the girl
is next
to her mother,
the next,
she has vanished.

Moments later,
the young girl
can be seen
running away
with a mannequin’s leg.

To some
it might
be seen as
a youngster’s prank.

To others,
it is
a rescue mission.

For this young girl,
comes from
a land
of great tragedy.

So many deaths,
so many injuries,
so many struggles,
so many traumas.

You would think
at her age,
the young girl
would not
remember
anything.

May be
that is so,
may be
it is not.

How will
we know,
until the young girl
can tell us
for herself.

In light
of her origins,
the girl’s actions
are fully understandable.

For
in her effort
to help another
who may have a lost
a leg,
this girl
is bringing
that person
a new one.

The fact
that this new leg
is totally
inappropriate,
is irrelevant
to the symbolism
behind the move.

For our
young girl,
so young
that very little
makes sense
yet,
is a heroine
in the making.

A kindred spirit
to all
of those people
in need
of help.

A saviour
for someone
who has lost
a leg.

This girl
stands
before us
as a icon
of what
the struggle
for survival
can be like
in parts
of our world.

Let us not
condemn her
for her actions,
let us
understand
her motive.

Let us
applaud her
for her thoughts.

Let us
explain to her
what has happened.

Through this,
we both
can learn.

Thank you
young lady
for showing us
the potential
that lies
within us all.

Thank you
young lady
for having
the thoughtfulness
to want
to help others.

Thank you
young lady
for one day
you will shine
above all
of the chaos.

One day
you will show
our world
what we can do
when we work
together.

A simple,
innocuous,
action,
a life changing
experience
for many.

© Gary Dodd 2008

(Please note that the font and format of this poem has been
modified to suit the style and presentation of this website.)