02/03/2022
Children in Wartime
by Isobel Thrilling
Sirens ripped open
the warm silk of sleep;
we ricocheted to the shelter
moated by streets
that ran with darkness.
People said it was a storm,
but flak
had not the right sound
for rain;
thunder left such huge craters
of silence,
we knew this was no giant
playing bowls.
And later,
when I saw the jaw of glass,
where once had hung
my window spun with stars;
it seemed the sky
lay broken on my floor.
Children in Wartime
by Isobel Thrilling
Sirens ripped open
the warm silk of sleep;
we ricocheted to the shelter
moated by streets
that ran with darkness.
People said it was a storm,
but flak
had not the right sound
for rain;
thunder left such huge craters
of silence,
we knew this was no giant
playing bowls.
And later,
when I saw the jaw of glass,
where once had hung
my window spun with stars;
it seemed the sky
lay broken on my floor.
----------------------------------------------------------------
EVERY WAR IS A WAR AGAINST CHILDREN
At least two million children have died in the last 10 years as a result of wars started by adults.
The number of children wounded or disabled is three times larger, and there are even more suffering from sicknesses, malnutrition, sexual violence, and the hardships of flight.
Countless children have been confronted with the anguish of losing their home, their belongings, and those close to them.
In such conditions, practically all the necessary constants for child development are seriously disrupted, and the psychological damages of armed conflicts are incalculable.
Growing up in a war torn country and experiencing violence first hand, watching loved ones be killed or even, just being displaced from your home can cause significant trauma to a child.