Eyes that should be so young, so bright, so full of hope
Now so sad, so old and dry, their tears long ago gone
Washing out for you the colours of your world
Leaving behind only pain and a world faded to grey
No more kind words or mother’s lullabies can you hear
Child of war, what in heaven’s name have we done to you?
Child of war, a world without colour is our gift to you
Perhaps you can forgive us one day for the wrongs that we do
In your monochrome world you can think only in black and white
For you, long gone thoughts of what is wrong or right
Survival somehow now day by day your only way
Child of war, we have failed you, and we don’t know what words to say
Eat or starve, run and hide, find some water, sleep or wake,
Walk to anywhere safer than yesterday, to where, who cares
The only choices that we have left you to make
Your eyes are the windows to your inner soul, glimpses of the horrors
We can only guess at, that young eyes should never have seen
Child of war, your old eyes stare at us and accuse us all
Child of war, by day your voice falls forever silent
Unable anymore to speak even your name or from whence you came
But your screams they fill us with terror every night
For you now no mother’s arms to hold you tight
Whisper to you everything will somehow be alright
Child of war, what nightmares do your sleeping eyes see
Child of war, no father’s footsteps for you to now follow in
So you stretch out your hands to us for help to show you the way
But our guilt is so heavy we don’t know what to do or what to say
Crushed by the weight of our shame, we turn our back on you, walk away
Have the hypocrisy to pray to our God to keep you safe
Child of war, you asked for none of this
Child of war you bear no blame
Child of war your unknown name
Will forever more all of us shame
Forgive us somehow, someday
We made you pay the price for us today
Child of war, one day you must be no more
"Child of War" Copyright © Tom King 2022
Now so sad, so old and dry, their tears long ago gone
Washing out for you the colours of your world
Leaving behind only pain and a world faded to grey
No more kind words or mother’s lullabies can you hear
Child of war, what in heaven’s name have we done to you?
Child of war, a world without colour is our gift to you
Perhaps you can forgive us one day for the wrongs that we do
In your monochrome world you can think only in black and white
For you, long gone thoughts of what is wrong or right
Survival somehow now day by day your only way
Child of war, we have failed you, and we don’t know what words to say
Eat or starve, run and hide, find some water, sleep or wake,
Walk to anywhere safer than yesterday, to where, who cares
The only choices that we have left you to make
Your eyes are the windows to your inner soul, glimpses of the horrors
We can only guess at, that young eyes should never have seen
Child of war, your old eyes stare at us and accuse us all
Child of war, by day your voice falls forever silent
Unable anymore to speak even your name or from whence you came
But your screams they fill us with terror every night
For you now no mother’s arms to hold you tight
Whisper to you everything will somehow be alright
Child of war, what nightmares do your sleeping eyes see
Child of war, no father’s footsteps for you to now follow in
So you stretch out your hands to us for help to show you the way
But our guilt is so heavy we don’t know what to do or what to say
Crushed by the weight of our shame, we turn our back on you, walk away
Have the hypocrisy to pray to our God to keep you safe
Child of war, you asked for none of this
Child of war you bear no blame
Child of war your unknown name
Will forever more all of us shame
Forgive us somehow, someday
We made you pay the price for us today
Child of war, one day you must be no more
"Child of War" Copyright © Tom King 2022
Note-What happens when you take all the colour and wonder of the world out of someone completely innocent? Child of War is one of the countless innocents, and we all bear some portion of the blame in some way.