A FOUND TANKA
by Stephen Lawrence
Each life is a gift—
these children I’ve brought today
are former embryos;
each of us started this way
and life can’t be exploited.
There is no such thing
as a spare embryo.
these kids remind us
each embryo is complete,
genetically intact.
This Bill will cross a
critical ethical line
and will bring about
destruction, dismemberment
of emerging human life.
Stephen Lawrence, who has an MA in English and Diplomas in Applied Psychology and Education, works for the South Australian government. His fiction and poetry has won or been shortlisted for twenty Australian literary awards, and he was guest author at the Adelaide Festival of Arts Writers' Week 2000. His third poetry collection, entitled How Not to Kill Government Leaders, was launched at Writers' Week 2002.