Listen To The Children


Do we care about the children, are they there?
Are the weapons of destruction that we share
Any way to show the children how we care?
Are the children’s coffins light enough to bear?

Can you hear the silence calling to account?
Can you hear the children crying? Can you count?
Can you even make an effort, can you mount
Half the effort spent in wars you freely mount?

Are the mines they play amongst not meant to kill?
In truth, among us, who chose to spend and spill
Our sacred blood and genes that might tomorrow fill
More holy space than graves they surely will?

Can you hear the silence calling to account?
Can you hear the children crying? Can you count?
Can you even make an effort, can you mount
Half the effort spent in wars you freely mount?

Are the ships and planes you build to crush the foe,
Are the tanks and trucks that carry you and sow
Fear and enmity the generations know
Dooming you and yours to hatred that will grow?

Can you hear the silence calling to account?
Can you hear the children crying? Can you count?
Can you even make an effort, can you mount
Half the effort spent in wars you freely mount?

Are we not one ancient family dispersed
All around this sphere we’ve sprung from and been nursed?
Will we be remembered for the peace or cursed
By tomorrow’s children, will we be the first?

Can you hear the silence calling to account?
Can you hear the children crying? Can you count?
Can you even make an effort, can you mount
Half the effort spent in wars you freely mount?

Will all the noble words on lips now spoken
Be like so many promises we’ve broken?
Will this be just another paltry token,
Will the grip of violence, at last, be broken?

Can you hear the silence calling to account?
Can you hear the children crying? Can you count?
Can you even make an effort, can you mount
Half the effort spent in wars you freely mount?

 

William Brendan McPhillips