While walking 'cross the schoolyard
To get my boy one day
I came across a chalk sketch
On the ground where children play.

A blue sun hung above
A yellow house of stone
Several purple stick figures
And a small one all alone.

That tiny person huddled
With his arms above his head
Hiding under a picture
Of a green and orange bed.

The little hand that drew it
Gave that figure tears of red
Scrawled underneath it
"Dont hit me" was all it said.

Chalk on the walk
Was the writing on the wall
The volumes that it spoke
Was someone's wake up call.

Just a simple children's drawing
Begging to be heard
The picture that it painted
Was worth a thousand words.

As my eyes welled up with tears
And school was letting out
I thought about my own son
And started to have my doubts

Did he ever wonder about me
If I caught him being bad
Did I ever frighten him
When I got a little mad.

The schoolyard filled with kids
As I looked all around
I wondered which was the artist
Of this mural on the ground.

I heard a voice yell "Daddy"
Then turned around to see
My boy jumped into my arms
And I hugged him close to me.

Chalk on the walk
Was the writing on the wall
The volumes that it spoke
Was someone's wake up call.

Just a simple children's drawing
Begging to be heard
The picture that it painted
Was worth a thousand words.

Now whenever I go for a walk
I stop and take the time
For all the pictures on the ground
And read between the lines.

Chalk on the walk
Was the writing on the wall
The volumes that it spoke
Was someone's wake up call.

Just a simple children's drawing
Begging to be heard
The picture that it painted
Was worth a thousand words.


"Chalk on the Walk"
Written by Clayton W. Sawyer & Jeff Cooper
Sung by Eric Lee Magner

Please visit Clayton W. Sawyer's website to read about how he wrote this amazing song and the message it brings.  In addition, you can hear more great songs written by Clayton.  Just click his name below:

Clayton W. Sawyer

We read and hear about child abuse more and more every day.  And in too many cases, the story comes to us after a child had died.  Just last month there was a story in the newspaper about a little 4-year old girl who died in March as a result of child abuse.  A scheduled visit by a public health nurse on March 10th prompted the father to take his daughter for a car ride to avoid scrutiny of her bruises and other injuries.  Hours later he brought her limp, battered body to the Medical Center emergency room, saying the child hit her head and fell asleep.  Detectives said Summer, the little girl, died the next day after spending 10 hours washing urine-stained clothing in a bathtub as punishment.  

Investigators said in court papers that Summer suffered severe abuse that bordered on torture.  She was made to wear a dog shock collar and suffered burns to her face.  The child's mother and father are awaiting January trials on charges of homicide by abuse.

The part I don't understand about all of this is that State officials received complaints, going back to 2003, about the safety of Summer from day care providers and social service advocates worried that she might have been neglected and sexually abused, but the state Department of Social and Health Services say that none of the reports rose above "information only" concerns.  I would like to know what kind of complaints it takes to rise above "information only" concerns.  But, in answer to my own question, I guess it takes the death of a child to gets the courts involved, and in this case it will be to prosecute the parents who are awaiting January trials on charges of homicide by abuse.  But, this does not help little 4-year old Summer, does it?  Where were they when she was being severely abused?

"Life & Inspiration Index"

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"Chalk On The Walk"

June 2007