I Chose To Look The Other Way--an English poem for your fun

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I Chose To Look The Other Way. I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look away. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; I had the time, and I was there. But I didn’t want to appear foolish, or argue over some safety rule. I knew he had done this before; if I spoke up, he might get angry. The odds didn’t seem that bad; I had done the same thing before, and he knew that. So I shook my head and walked away. He was aware of the risks just as much as I was. He took the risk, and I turned a blind eye; by doing so, I allowed him to 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 know I should have saved his life. That guilt is something I must carry; but it’s also something that needs to be shared. If you see a risk that others are taking, one that could endanger their health or life, then what you say or do could help them live another day. If you see a risk and walk away, then hope you never have to say, “I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look the other way.” By: Don Merrill