Child Soldiers | Teen Ink
  1. Home
  2. Poetry
  3. Free Verse
  4. Child Soldiers

Child Soldiers MAG

March 13, 2008
By Courtney Cyr BRONZE, Eaton, Colorado
More by this author
Courtney Cyr BRONZE, Eaton, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments
View profile

Their eyes tell silent stories.
Stories that would shock even the darkest of hearts.
These eyes have seen worse than some could even dream of.
They’ve seen killing and death, and pain and suffering to extents that can be hard to imagine.
Eyes that should be learning how to read are instead being taught how to fight.
Emotionless eyes are being forced to kill in gruesome ways.
Eyes that seem to have run out of tears, because crying never helped.
Their sobs are unheard, their tears are unseen.
Children who are innocent are being ruined by men who see no hope in their government.
Men who are willing to take advantage of an irreplaceable innocence.
The eyes are deep brown.
A brown so deep you could get lost in it.
Eyes that catch attention for their beauty.
They silently tell of innocence lost and of silent tears cried.
These are the eyes of a child soldier.

© Chelsea M., Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Post a comment
Submit your own

Similar Articles

Previous Next
Poetry
To a Brother Growing Up
By imperfection GOLD
Gilroy, California
imperfection GOLD, Gilroy, California
17 articles 9 photos 45 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Dream as though you&#039;ll live forever, live as though you&#039;ll die today.&quot;<br /> ~James Dean (1931-1955), American Motion Picture Actor, symbol of rebellion

View profile
Poetry
Connected
By emolover95 GOLD
Park City, Utah
emolover95 GOLD, Park City, Utah
13 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Don&#039;t cry because it&#039;s over. Smile because it happened.&quot;

View profile
Poetry
Lightning
By Rachel Bellah BRONZE
Seattle, Washington
Rachel Bellah BRONZE, Seattle, Washington
4 articles 0 photos 1 comment
View profile
Poetry
My Sister's Keeper
By Angels1031 BRONZE
Fort Worth, Texas
Angels1031 BRONZE, Fort Worth, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 4 comments
View profile
Poetry
Overcoming Stage Fright
By kiwi12 PLATINUM
Austin, Texas
kiwi12 PLATINUM, Austin, Texas
28 articles 10 photos 365 comments
View profile
Poetry
Joys of Life
By Daniel Seeley Hicks-Neal BRONZE
Westville, New Jersey
Daniel Seeley Hicks-Neal BRONZE, Westville, New Jersey
1 article 0 photos 0 comments
View profile

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 368 comments.

josie1314 PLATINUM said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 5:27 pm
josie1314 PLATINUM, Cincinnati, Ohio
22 articles 0 photos 14 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I cannot live without my life, I cannot live without my soul!&quot; -Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights

View profile
I know what you mean!! There is a facebook petition that demands the arrest of the rebel army leader who is taking all these children. His name is Joseph Kony and whoever reads this, go to Facebook, search Invisible Children, and go sign their petition!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
beccawrites94 said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 5:20 pm
This poem reminds me of an organization that is trying to prevent the abuse of child soldiers, Invisible Children. You really described everything well and I am glad that is was published. We need to get the word out about what is happening to kids our age and some much younger.
Boogaleaf GOLD said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 1:18 pm
Boogaleaf GOLD, Hamburg, New York
10 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.

View profile
This is an amazing poem. I love the truth behind it and how heartfelt the theme is. I really enjoy poems that have real life themes and current issues of the world. Your style is great, too.
debbieeee BRONZE said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 10:49 am
debbieeee BRONZE, Port Washington, New York
2 articles 2 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
We ignore the ones who adore us, <br /> adore the ones that ignore us,<br /> love the ones that hurt us, and<br /> hurt the ones that love us.

View profile
This reminds me of Emimen's song "Toy Soldier" even though it has nothing to do with it. I really enjoyed reading this. It was a great poem. It's sad to know that everything that is written above is actually true.
mutekid016 GOLD said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 8:09 am
mutekid016 GOLD, Gap, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Remember when you play like a girl used to be an insult?&quot; Mia Hamm

View profile
Yea kids are the future, why are we fighting wars at our age? We should stop this.
jimmy_a GOLD said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 8:07 am
jimmy_a GOLD, Sanford, North Carolina
12 articles 0 photos 40 comments

Favorite Quote:
Look for me, not with a flashlight but open your heart n free your soul n there my love i shall be

View profile
great poem its really sad that childern have to go through things like that its a shame for anyone to have to experince anything like this but life sucks ):
AnnHenn SILVER said...
on Dec. 11 2009 at 6:42 am
AnnHenn SILVER, Falling Waters, West Virginia
5 articles 1 photo 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be as you desire to appear.

View profile
I would love to know the story behind this. I live in a country with many such children, an you have described them perfectly. Well done!
thesilverrose BRONZE said...
on Dec. 4 2009 at 2:37 pm
thesilverrose BRONZE, Richardson, Texas
1 article 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead.&quot; -Benjamin Franklin

View profile
Wonderful work. It's very sad, but yet unfortunatly true.
ilovetinkerbell GOLD said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 3:30 pm
ilovetinkerbell GOLD, Raytown, Missouri
13 articles 0 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be yourself!!!

View profile
Great job. I LOVE IT... Keep up the great work. oh, and by the way congrats on having it published in the magazine.
BeckoningLovely GOLD said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 12:22 pm
BeckoningLovely GOLD, Wilmington, Delaware
15 articles 1 photo 106 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I think our favorite quotes say more about us than the people we are quoting,&quot; John Green

View profile
So sad, and it's very true. We discussed it last year in social sciences, and it was difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that boys my age were tossing bombs and not baseballs, girls were tying helmets on their head and not bows in their hair...
jmc.13 said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 9:50 am
jmc.13, Dobbs Ferry, New York
0 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;I&#039;d rather regret what I did than what I didn&#039;t do.&quot;

View profile
I loved this. It is beautifully powerful work, and managed to capture the essence of sadness extremely well.

Fantastic job!
ariwrites94 GOLD said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 8:39 am
ariwrites94 GOLD, Deltona, Florida
17 articles 4 photos 59 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.&quot; ---Plato

View profile
wonderful poem! you are a talented writer!!! keep up the jaw-dropping work :) oh yeah if you have time could you maybe read, comment, and rate my poem called "Sensitive Am I?" Thanx. :)
Nicolioliolsterz_1 GOLD said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 8:35 am
Nicolioliolsterz_1 GOLD, Manassas, Virginia
14 articles 0 photos 20 comments

Favorite Quote:
All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity is easy. Stay away from easy. <br /> Scott Alexander <br /> <br /> A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day. <br /> Emily Dickinson <br /> <br /> Not knowing when the dawn will come I open every door. <br /> Emily Dickinson

View profile
great poem.I see a lot of truth behind it.
reesha SILVER said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 5:41 am
reesha SILVER, Rawalpindi, Other
6 articles 15 photos 124 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.&quot;<br /> Walt Disney<br /> <br /> &quot;Hakuna Matata!&quot;<br /> Lion King<br /> <br /> &quot;The British policy was &#039;unite and conquer&#039;. But I say &#039;unite and conquer&#039;.&quot;<br /> Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea)

View profile
Amazing, keep writing!!
ray1169 BRONZE said...
on Nov. 7 2009 at 9:31 am
ray1169 BRONZE, Mt. Airy, Maryland
2 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A canter is the cure for every evil&quot;

View profile
I LOVE IT... dont ever stop writing.... you're to good to stop
bamboom212 said...
on Nov. 1 2009 at 9:17 pm
Wow, unbelievable. This poem really got to me. I personally have no talent in poetry, but this is amazing. Keep up the awesome work!! I wanna read more!! :P
sobel95 SILVER said...
on Oct. 28 2009 at 11:19 pm
sobel95 SILVER, Imperial Beach, California
5 articles 0 photos 8 comments
View profile
"Eyes that seem to have run out of tears, because crying never helped." That part really spoke to me. Keep up the great work!
geezlike said...
on Oct. 28 2009 at 10:45 pm
Yes, it's a fantastic poem, but I don't think it was written to get personal compliments...child soldiers are true and their lives are destroyed along with those of their families. It is usually the youth of the world that stands up and demands that things change. How can we stand together to stop this kind of abuse of innocence and youth in our world?
rosechick21 said...
on Oct. 28 2009 at 9:42 pm
rosechick21, Carrollton, Texas
0 articles 1 photo 2 comments
View profile
this is an amazing poem, it brought tears to my eyes.
lauren_b SILVER said...
on Oct. 28 2009 at 7:00 pm
lauren_b SILVER, Flower Mound, Texas
5 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you love something set it free, if their meant to be with you, they&#039;ll come back&quot;

View profile
outstanding poem, real truth seen through an artists eyes, just one way to express a disturbing matter, and a very good way at that.