The Silent Whistle

A little girl in the schoolyard
Watched John get kicked and hit
And wanted to tell the teacher
But her earnest tongue she bit!
She couldn’t, for the life of her,
Speak up for poor John’s sake
So she kept her head down quiet
And watched as John’s spirit brake.
Afraid, she was, to tell the truth
And didn’t quite know why.
She’d rather watch her friend get hurt
And shut her ears to his cry.

A businessman strode down the halls
Of that thriving corporate place
And asked himself if he should tell
Of Robert’s theft from Grace
It sure was wrong— undoubtedly!
Might cause their firm to fall…
But he couldn’t open up his mouth
He couldn’t speak at all.
He should really blow the whistle—
It would be the right thing to do…
But fear and pride kept his mouth shut tight.
Would they do that to you?

A sociable man of middle-age
Sees Freddy flirt with Jane
And wonders— should he tell her
Fred will only cause her pain?
He’s seen the girls fall hard for Fred,
Watched him work his smiling arts
But he’s seen the tragic, tearful end
Those poor girls’ broken hearts
Sweet Jane, he knows, is next in line
Fred will ravage and leave her for dead
But he shakes his head and shuts his mouth
And down he puts his head.

People, all. Like you and me.
They can’t stand up and speak
Afraid to warn when they know they ought
When they should be strong, they’re weak.
Well, suppose someone labeled their courage as sin
Or someone said (wrongly), “That's bad!
You oughtn’t be gossiping like you are.”
Or talk makes the bosses get mad.
But why don’t we say what we know to be true?
Why keep our mouths shut tight?
Why hide the truth in a quiet box
And shove it far out of sight?
Sometimes, my friends, it’s better
To get up and raise a shout.
If there’s a thing that shouldn’t be
Seize it and drag it out!
Don’t let the wrong stay hidden—
I think that’s half the fight.
To tell yourself to just get up
And proclaim to the world what’s right.
Most of the trouble in this world’s
Not caused by wicked guys
It’s not the men who steal and kill
That wreck the world with their lies.
Rather, the men who see it
And won’t say a single word.
Evil’s allowed to exist in the world
When the truth ain’t allowed to be heard.