I heard your heart-felt cry
Please see me in the wild,
Running in the fear and heat
Hiding in the desert wind,
so fearful, cold,
war child.

I saw your eyes' deep sorrows,
Haunted in the night,
The tears dried long ago
In fear and dread and fight,
running far and wide,
war child.

I felt your pain and grief
But, not your wounded soul,
I could never know the terror
That saturates your all
as all alone you cried,
war child.

I listened to your heartbeat
Drumming out the dread,
The loss of home and kindred
Surrounded by sheer death
forever crying, why,
war child.

I heard you scream for childhood
Stolen from age eight,
Born to bear war's armor
No life to contemplate,
only burning fire and ire,
war child.

I warmed to that dear aid worker
Who smuggled you that day,
From hunger, fear and torment
To you new life she gave,
whispering, live, don't die
war child.

But, a car crash took her there
So, she didn't live to see,
You, traveling the world to sing
Your thanks and gravity
for more of life,
war child.

I heard the horror in your voice
The sadness borne to bear,
Born to be a warrior,
I prayed then, as I cried
go, hide no more
war child.

You spoke of your dear Mother
Her inspiration, love,
She laid down deep foundations
Of music from above,
for you, she loved and cried,
war child.

She gave to you her heart
Of courage, deeper worth.
You knew God had a purpose
From the love she gave at first,
to live, to sing, to fly,
be loved again, war child.

Soft whispers from
Derry's Heart Poems © May 2009
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Poetry from the Heart