open air like an animal, lush
cannot tell where, I am hidden
whereabouts unknown, forbidden
some parents were tortured, told
death comes either way, so cold
my friends gone, taken from school
bodies are found, piled in a red pool
arms, legs, and heads, separated
nightly, young girls are penetrated
death screams through the night
searching daily, places in the light
I am ten years old, no more class
churches burned, no more mass
both parents are dead, I have to work
girls gather firewood to sell, rebels lurk
found, trying to run, two men stand there
screaming, at me, wishing I’d disappear
trying to run, but I am held down, clothes off
both take turns raping me, hear them scoff
beaten with fists, bleeding, I have no motion
feeling warmth, hot blood flows, like an ocean
sensing someone is looking at me, screaming
my arms, legs have been cut, all black, fading
light appears, alive and agony, emotionless
I am no longer in the woods, I am motionless
someone brought me to a clinic somewhere
seeing people I am afraid, skin hurts from air
only have one arm, two knees, an elbow left
many days I could do nothing, so then I slept
soon I was moved to another place, with others
but none were like me, no fathers and mothers
others were playing, we all had some school
I live in a wheeled chair, finally, a good tool
everyday is not good, I have no legs & no arm
everyday beaten, by the other children, so harm
I hate each day wondering about this long war
all my days in the Congo, no freedom, no door
food is very rare we eat once a day, how to get food
an older boy gathers wood to sell, he knows he should
tomorrow may not come, agony, I wish today was over
my daily beating will come as agony as children hover
*Research is from You Tube interviews when
Children
of War Speak is searched.
These
children are from the Congo where
life
is suffered in daily fear and death
and
tomorrows may or may not come.
I
did not go into details of the sexual assaults
because
I would have to put an adult rating
on
the write and the website.
**There
are child soldiers interviews also and
as
I said some take a minimum of 3 years
just
to adjust to safe neighborhoods
And
are relocated all over the world from
the
Congo of Africa and other parts of Africa
and
South America.
12 comments:
These atrocities are being perpetrated by people claiming to represent the Islamic faith. I think if butchery and barbarism is a tenet of any religion it should be outlawed Freedom to practise religion should not be allied with freedom to practise barbarism !
may be even agony is not a powerful word to express what the kids are going through in Congo. It's is sad that how humans are so destructive..
this is very hard to read, and like the daily happenings in this cruel world, it's very hard to swallow... I've watched plenty of documentaries on these very topics--there usually is no light by the program's end, and there isn't any in your poem (reflecting the days of those suffering).
This is a living hell....and we go on living our daily lives without much ado in comparison...thanks for sharing your insights..
l
The word is painfully cruel.. when it eats its children and devour their spirits like this.. a single glimpse of hope is life here I think
Of all crimes crimes against children should be judged the harshest. Children are the hope of the world.
You have captured the horror (that I can only begin to imagine) of so much tragedy.
This scenario is just horrific and heartbreaking...ugh...what humans can do to humans is of the darkest evils, isn't it?
A strong shout-out, lest we forget, minus the media coverage, that part of the world; a dark, painful poem where only the light of truth shines.
What some children in the world put up with on a daily basis is horrific!
It is hard to read and horrifying to know people are going through this. How can people do this to other people? Do they have no soul?
Hard to see any light in all this darkness. But, it must be there, hidden in the souls of these children. i hope light explodes upon them soon.
It was hard to read this. But I know we must confront the darkness in order to bring in the light.
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