Pardon! Poem by Trevor Toews

The louder the screams for justice,
And the grosser the crime,
The stiller the hush when the judge appears at verdict time.

The raucous clamor is stifled,
Livid faces turn,
All fixed on the one who will utter the sentence stern.

Not a question of guilt is lifted,
'Caught in the act! ',
And no remorse, protest or promise will change the facts.

But they walk away in silence,
Stunned to the heart,
How could a case this clear, fall so strangely apart?

And the greater the sin forgiven,
The freer the tears
Fall as that unbelievable word…
Rings in my ears.