Mr Toad & The Rio Grande

Yesterday, I found a toad
barely alive hidden in the grass,
the just cut grass,
apparently a victim of the lawnmower
and  my suburban desire
for a manicured lawn.
Today, I laid its little, brown body
to rest in the shade of the bushes
in my backyard.

Wondering if its life had a meaning,
just as we all should wonder
what meaning our lives have
when and if we silently accept the death
of a toddler and young father
drowned while seeking a better life
crossing the Rio Grande.

A toddler and father drowned
in demarcated waters.
Her life, but not her meaning,
washed away in our sins
and the Rio Grande.