War Children

And still the bullets fly and the bombs fall.......................................................... but the press seems to have forgotten Syria and Yemen and Sudan and Palestine.

Perpendicular cries

rebound off fractured walls

as tears reach the sky

and ravens swoop

and fall upon

the earth

in screeching,

wailing, tormented

waves

of barrel bombs.

 

Once hopeful children

now lay bruised,

in tattered clothes,

their shredded dreams

frozen,

as unfilled bellies swell

and their tortured souls

and empty eyes

seek salvation

in any corner

of the world.

 

The stone of their

ancient homes,

once their protection,

now reduced to dust,

their streets

defiled and pounded,

and piled upon

the sands

like so much

hard core rubble.

 

But no saviour

hears their cries.

There is no heroic

god to fly

to the rescue,

no handsome stranger

on a white stallion

come to save them

from extinction.

 

Death it seems

is their only

friend,

their only

path

to freedom.

 

27/07/19

Author's Note

Reviews

[kentuck14]

John,
It is a most cursed world. You see it with honest reflection. Sorrow and suffering are the constants of this fallen world. My faith does not promise anything different . . . just truth that helps us navigate through the wreckage.
T

[John Alexander McFadyen]

An navigate we must Tom, many thank yous sir!

[Coyote Poetry]

Honest words written. In many places in our world. Children cannot be children. The poor and the children pay for the hate of men. Thank you John for sharing the powerful words and thoughts.
Coyote

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Many thanks for your comments Coyote John.

[Coyote Poetry]

You are welcome John.

[Einstein Noodle]

strong language ..vivid scene ..i am a Viet Nam era vet and this picture is waht i instantly saw in me mind :(
https://allthatsinteresting.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/napalm-girl-gallery-cropped.jpg
there is nothing glorious about the killing and destruction in war ... pity the root causes of intolerance, hate, greed and just plain evil can not be barrel bombed :(((((((((((( sadly your poem is relevant this very day ... your poem is emotive and weighs heavy on me this morning John .. so well done says i!
E.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah I am sorry a) that you experience Vietnam (and I am familiar with that photograph) and b) that this causes those memories and feelings to weigh heavy this morn. I do however think we allow these things to slip from our focus instead of rasging against such injustice. Many thanks 'E'

[Einstein Noodle]

oh....its a good thing to remember ...war is horrific ... i was in the Navy and never came close to Viet Nam ... i just served during that era ... it was a tumultuous time in our Country ... so many changes screaming to be born eh!? we should never forget ... any of our Wars ...

[Chris Shaw]

Strong write about the tragedy of war. Powerful and descriptive. We are fortunate not to have it on our own doorstep. If it was there, I feel sure our minds would be far more focused on the destruction.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Yes indeed. But it is so strangde that these war torn places seem to have mended as we drop them out of the news agenda! Thank you Chris.

[Fairy Khan]

A really emotional and powerful write. War hasn’t ever done any good to this world, and it never will.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed so. Many thanks FKK.

[Fairy Khan]

Kashmir is a victim of the same scenario, as well, but is not hyped. Do read about it.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I have read some news reports on it. Kurdistan is similar. My hairdresser is a young Syrian Kurd displaced. His family is in Sweden

[Fairy Khan]

Yes, I know about it.

[Cherrie Palmer]

Sticks and stones, is how that old saying goes, but words, words once they take root can change a generation and save a nation.
Words such as these that rally for those with no voice of their own.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

I see where you are coming from Cherrie. Many thanks.

[Edie Blue Starfish]

We're so sheltered from it, we forget what's happening in other parts. Caught up in trivial things...

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Indeed so and the suffering never ends for some until death. Thanks Edie.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

great song...I play the video of it for my class when we discuss 1968 and the Viet Nam era.
and yes, destruction...."war, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing"
and what it leaves behind leaves so many hearts and bodies critically wounded.
j.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Aye but just how easy it is to turn a blind eye as we cross the street to buy a pizza! Thanks Jacob.