' Parents' Lament Poem by Linda Ori

Precious life
bled out on the battlefield -
naked, bleeding souls revealed
and in the name of peace;

Children lost,
never to be found again,
matters not, for none will win
the ravages of war;

Neither side
will find the solace in their loss,
they say their prayers and kiss the cross,
but nothing can be saved;

Brave the child
who sacrificed his life for peace,
who willingly did sign the lease
oblivious to fear;

Yet, all that's left
to fill the void within our hearts,
a flag to prove they played their parts
heroically and well;

Life goes on,
and still the grief flows raw and deep,
the nights drag on devoid of sleep,
for nothing cures the pain;

Precious life,
imagine how it could have been,
if death was not an option when
the world lay in their hands;

Parents cry,
for senseless wars will e'er be fought,
freedom's peace cannot be bought.....
Our children soldier on.