A LAMENT FOR CHILDHOOD
Small frightened faces,
Iron and Rust,
sharp smell of anger,
Gunflash and Dust.
Small frightened faces,
sharp smell of fear,
cries of the wounded
cries of the dying,
Iron and Rust
Iron and Rust.
Call for their loved ones
caught up in the rush,
small moonlit faces
who can they trust,
Gunflash and Dust
Gunflash and Dust.
Be still and be silent
NO! NO! mustn't cry
crawl under the rubble
drones in the sky.
Where is their childhood
Where is the love,
be still and be silent
bombers above.
Iron and Rust
Iron and Rust
who can they trust.
Cringe in the shadows,
peer through the cracks,
small frightened faces
caught up in gunflash.
Where is their childhood
where is the care,
Small frightened faces
there's snipers out there.
Gunflash and Dust.
Gunflsh and Dust,
they live out their childhood
'neath Iron and Rust
Gunflash and Dust.
Flyntland
Mon 24th Mar 2025 20:09
RBK, Tom D. Hugh, Stephen G., and Stephen A. Thank you for reading and liking, I find it very encouraging.
Aisha, Holden, Helene, and Manish thank you also for pressing the 'like' button it means a lot to me.
Rolph, Thank you for your thoughtful comment, This poem was written for a different war but all wars have the same effect on children.
I saw a news item on TV. some time ago that touched briefly on a small group of young children who were diving for safety into a small gap under a concrete slab, metal sheets, and twisted wire. Their faces registered distrust and fear and it was gut-wrenching. They will never be children again.