How do you explain war to children?
Adults know about greed for
Power and money, hatred and prejudice--
But how do you tell children about war?
How to explain people hate you
Because you're religion or heritage
Is different than theirs. How to say that
Those killed by mistake are "collateral damage".
How to explain to a child that
Their family was killed and
Their home destroyed by terrorists--
Some from their own homeland.
The stressed, agonized faces of people,
Then the dazed, scared, injured faces
Of children who can't understand what's
Going on. Sirens sound as ambulances race.
No one knows when or how this
Will end. People trying to escape
The fighting by trying to get to
Countries where they'll feel safe.
But that doesn't always work--
They cross the sea in rafts.
A child's body washes ashore:
Another casualty--explain that.
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