Poem

I Chose to Look the Other Way
I could have saved a life that day,But I chose to look the other way.It wasn’t that I didn’t care,I had the time, and I was there.
But I didn’t want to seem a fool,Or argue over a safety rule.I knew he’d done the job before,If I called it wrong, he might get sore.
The chances didn’t seem that bad,I’ve done the same, he knew I had.So I shook my head and walked on by,He knew the risks as well as I.
He took the chance, I closed an eye,And with that act, I let him die.I could have saved a life that day,But I chose to look the other way.
Now every time I see his wife,I’ll know I should have saved his life.That guilt is something I must bear,But it isn’t something you need to share.
If you see a risk that others take,That puts their health or life at stake.The question asked, or thing you say,Could help them live another day.
If you see a risk and walk away,Then I hope you never have to say,I could have saved a life that day,But I chose to look the other way.
-- By Don Merrell