In Memory of Lisa Steinberg, A Tragic Victim of Child Abuse

The Phantom

They say you can hear her sweet song
that only the purest of heart can sing...
from a place found in a paradise above
for children whose lives were so deprived of love.

I still see her on the playground;
a faint echo of laughter is heard...
I turn to see a fleeting figure fade.
In a deserted school yard where a bell rings,
I now see only a shadow on an empty swing.

Down a dimly lit hall,
I hear her plaintive call.
Oh Lisa,
are you still there...
could it be true?
There's never been such a silent sound.
I walk away with a futile apology
for what I didn't do.

-Marie Lawrence

The death of every child is a great loss for humanity. Every individual has the potential to touch others' lives in a most significant way and enrich our world with their unique talents and gifts. We as parents, teachers, and just caring people can make such a difference in a child's life to save them from the heartache of abuse or neglect and hear their cries for help.

The Garden

One day as I was walking,
I came across a garden.
Long I stood there to gaze...
every flower seemed perfect
and worthy of praise.
Bold in color, refined in its symmetry...
how difficult a task to select from these
the one that would the most please,
as somehow their beauty was uniform.

But I stopped and beheld one in particular-
a little flower-
that first looked quite ordinary, unspectacular
compared to the rest;
yet with fragile beauty
it somehow beguiled...
I stood there for quite awhile.

As the sun's rays gently fell down on its petals,
it stood out among all the rest
with a singularity...
a flower that many would have ignored-
that might not have passed the critic's test
but none the less a beauty it did suggest...

And upon closer look
its true nature could be seen...
a rare design would suddenly unfold;
in its petals,
with all their subtle folds,
a soft palette of pastels
one could behold.

To the impatient, undiscerning eye,
it would have been dismissed
and lack of perception
so confirming its imperfection;
unattended to would have wilted
or treated as a weed
for those more salient qualities
in their criteria which it could not meet...

And in a wasteland tossed
its virtue lie in vain,
a beauty never to be seen again
as it slowly dies...
its uniqueness forever lost.

-Marie Lawrence

Lisa's tragic death was preventable. City social workers, police and even a teacher who had seen the evidence of abuse on Lisa's body failed to take these signs seriously and take the appropriate action to ensure that this child was placed in a safe environment. Sadly, a sort of veil of indifference helped bring this tragedy to it's final conclusion. Lisa and so many other children could have been saved if only someone had taken the necessary action to help her.

If you need help or you are concerned about a child you suspect is being abused or neglected please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) then push 1 to talk to a counselor. Remember don't wait to report child abuse. Report it immediately. Make sure that your complaint is followed up by local police, child protective services, or those responsible for getting the child out of harm's way. You can save a child's life.

The Hotline counselors are available 365 days a year to help kids, and even adults who are concerned about kids they suspect are being abused or neglected. You can call this number if you live in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Remember: Trust your judgement. Don't keep it to yourself - do something if you are worried about a child.

Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
- John Donne