Public Defender – poem

Forever a strand in this band of underdog fighters
Leave a piece of my heart with these service providers
Change igniters
We defend those in need with our expertise
Question authority
Keep secrets like a priest
We keep the faith
Answer prayers for care from desperate stares
Apply the Constitution to keep rights safe
Seek freedom
Resist the power of the State
Stacked on the scale, their resources are measureless
Threatened with jail, a citizen cannot contend in David vs. Goliath-land
They have power, but we don’t yield
Use the law as a shield
We stand with The People
Remember Gideon
Don’t take pity on, but listen intently
Look in their eyes, try their shoes on for size
Humanize their plight
Their battles we fight
Strategically advocate
Negotiate deals for their sake
Be their voice
A hard choice, we help them make
Take our place by their side when they accept fate
Counsel moms
Hear them cry, hear them ask why, how they’ll survive
Justice
Sometimes it feels like it’s just us
Called a pretender by those we serve, doesn’t weaken our nerve
We surrender pride, remain loyal by their side
Motivated by a higher purpose
United in our service to fellow man
The honor stands in being a strand in this band