Pagan Babies

When I was young I used to save
a milk carton of pennies
to feed the pagan babies in China.

Carton after carton was given to the nuns
who packaged those pennies
and took them to the bank.

When enough money was collected
the nuns sent a check to the missionaries
who fed their bodies and saved their souls.

Years later, the population of China
is booming although there are few
Catholics among them

and as our economic systems fail
I wonder if somewhere in their schools
children will collect cartons full of pennies

to save us of from our impending bankruptcy
and deliver us from our financial missteps
so that we can redeem ourselves from collapse?