「媽媽，親愛的，我能不能

        不在外頭玩耍，

        讓我參加今天的自由進軍，

        走在伯明罕大街上？」

        「不，寶貝，你不能去，

        因為惡狗兇狠野蠻，

        而且警棍、水  、手槍和牢房，

        一個小孩子不該碰上。」

        「可是，媽媽，我不會一人亂闖，

        別的孩子將和我回去，

        為了我們國家的自由，

        走在伯明罕大街上。」

        「不，寶貝，你不能去，

        因為我怕警察開槍。

        但是你可以加入兒童唱詩班，

        並且去教堂。」

        她替女兒梳理烏黑的頭髮，

        把她梳洗得像玫瑰一般芳香，

        棕色的小手戴著白手套，

        一雙白鞋穿腳上。

        母親面帶微笑，她知道

        女兒正在神聖的地方。

        但不幸這笑容卻成了

        她臉上最後的微笑。

        因為當她聽見爆炸轟響，

        淚水湧出眼眶，心急若狂。

        她大聲呼喚著女兒，

        穿過伯明罕大街小巷。

        母親扒開碎磚爛石，

        撿起一隻鞋子。

        「唉，這是我女兒的鞋子，

        可是，寶貝，你在什麼地方?」

"No, baby, no, you may not go,
for the dogs are fierce and wild,
and clubs and hoses, guns and jails
ain't good for a little child."

"But, mother, I won't go alone.
Other children will go with me,
and march the streets of Birmingham
to make our country free."

"No, baby, no, you may not go,
for I fear those guns will fire.
But you may go to church instead,
and sing in the children's choir."

She has combed and brushed her nightdark hair,
and bathed rose petal sweet,
and drawn white gloves on her small brown hands
and white shoes on her feet.

The mother smiled to know her child
was in the sacred place,
but that smile was the last smile
to come upon her face.

For when she heard the explosion,
her eyes grew wet and wild.
She raced through the streets of Birmingham
calling for her child.

She clawed through bits of glass and brick.
then lifted out a shoe.
"0, here's the shoe my baby wore,
but, baby, where are you?"