Child Soldiers | Teen Ink

Child Soldiers MAG

March 13, 2008
By Courtney Cyr BRONZE, Eaton, Colorado
Courtney Cyr BRONZE, Eaton, Colorado
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

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.



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This article has 368 comments.


jetblue said...
on Feb. 24 2011 at 1:21 pm
thia this what every1 needs to do mad me cry

on Feb. 24 2011 at 12:28 pm
firelord SILVER, Queensbury, New York
8 articles 0 photos 22 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference." -Robert Frost

This reminds me specifically of the holocaust. In my English class, we just finished Night by Elie Wiesel. I think this poem definitely captures the essence of the tragic period of time. A time where we try to understand, but could never, ever comprehend unless we ourselves lived it. My hats off to anyone who survived, this poem and the tragic unspoken stories of those who's lives were cut short. :')

on Feb. 24 2011 at 12:01 pm
freedomfighter97 BRONZE, Lake Ann, Michigan
1 article 0 photos 11 comments
Beautiful!  Thank you for capturing the "eyes" of these innocent children!

RandyA. GOLD said...
on Feb. 24 2011 at 9:13 am
RandyA. GOLD, Bergenfield, New Jersey
16 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
What goes up must come down

This is great. I love this poem. 5 starts to this... keep it up

CarlaA.95 said...
on Feb. 24 2011 at 7:55 am
This is a really good poem, it opened the gstes to my heart and that is really hard to do. When I'm older I would like to help one of these kids and take him/her money and food, and clean water.

on Feb. 15 2011 at 11:51 am
Luckylucky GOLD, Hartford, Connecticut
13 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
''be nice to others,everyone is fighting their own battles''
''only people who risk going far,know how far they can go''
''what have you done to make your life better?''

wow this is extremely nice

its nice of how you have portrayed the reality  ......... seems like you are describing a event that took place right in front of your own eyes.


on Feb. 12 2011 at 6:53 pm
Rasberry919 BRONZE, Pink Hill, North Carolina
1 article 1 photo 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me." Phillippians 4:13

Wow! I loved your poem. I love how you can touch someone's emotions....Good Job!

on Feb. 2 2011 at 8:58 pm
Alexandrietteia BRONZE, Ocoee, Florida
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Experience is the name we give our mistakes." ~Oscar Wilde
"I can feel what you are feeling now, and you are worth it." ~Stephanie Meyer (one of her better lines)
"I have been through the advances of time and I can tell you it never gets

True...better diction would be key here...overall very powerful and worthwhile though

mgraves GOLD said...
on Feb. 2 2011 at 4:58 pm
mgraves GOLD, St. Louis, Missouri
13 articles 16 photos 52 comments
Agreed.  I think this is a very powerful subject and one that merits more description.  Particularly in poems, showing is as important as telling.

on Feb. 2 2011 at 2:41 pm
Chibbie1 PLATINUM, Atlanta, Georgia
38 articles 8 photos 181 comments

Favorite Quote:
Reach for the the moon for if you fail you land amongst the stars :)

this is the best Poem i have ever read you definatly deserve a place on this magazine!

 


on Feb. 2 2011 at 8:49 am
WerewolfWriting BRONZE, Eerie, Nevada
4 articles 0 photos 32 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Life is not about the breaths we take but about the people who take our breath away."

Hard and very descriptive. But the topic needed the roughness. Good job and well done for getting published!

on Jan. 26 2011 at 1:54 pm
Jakethesnake BRONZE, Hernando, Mississippi
1 article 0 photos 96 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Read, Read... Read everything, then write."-William Faulkner

I wish that I could come back and rate this 5 out of 5 everyday! However, I am grounded, so I am not even supposed to be on now. But great job!

on Jan. 19 2011 at 1:19 pm
A powerful emotional poem that makes my heart heavy with sadness. It shows the terror and grit that these people see every day.

ulitim@te said...
on Jan. 11 2011 at 10:24 pm
I really enjoyed to poem!! I find it funny that I have just completed a story on the same subject:) Honestly (I am not a poet) but I did like it! Especially the 'Eye that should be learning' part

on Jan. 11 2011 at 9:36 pm
VWordsmith GOLD, Toronto, Other
10 articles 2 photos 3 comments
To be honest, it's fairly amateur. Although the topic is a powerful one, I would have liked it if you used a more atypical angle or more sophisticated diction.

Nick121 BRONZE said...
on Jan. 11 2011 at 7:50 pm
Nick121 BRONZE, Manhasset, New York
2 articles 0 photos 10 comments

Favorite Quote:
If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.
Michael Jordan

nice very powerful

Kiyoko GOLD said...
on Jan. 11 2011 at 5:40 pm
Kiyoko GOLD, Knoxville, Tennessee
10 articles 0 photos 43 comments

Favorite Quote:
Independence is my happiness, I view things as they are without regard to place or person. My country is the world, and my religion is to do good. - Thomas Paine

 This is nice. I especially like "irreplaceable innocence" That's a good line. If you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate it if you would check out my work!

on Jan. 11 2011 at 5:18 pm
I.Hope.You.Dance. SILVER, Somewhere In, Florida
8 articles 9 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I would define, in brief the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of beauty!" -Edgar Allan Poe

"...All little girls should be told they're pretty, even if they aren't.” -Marilyn Monroe!

I kind of agree with you. I also don't like the fact that you said "men who see no hope in their goverment." Are you talking about the Military?

jen123 said...
on Jan. 11 2011 at 4:46 pm
this i can see when i read it...it tells a true story that most people can belive..i can understand the hurt and the aggresivness to this poem...this is a very sad poem but strong.

ellie315 GOLD said...
on Jan. 11 2011 at 3:39 pm
ellie315 GOLD, South Pasadena, California
10 articles 0 photos 86 comments

Favorite Quote:
"And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything." -- William Shakespeare

This seems kind of amateur. I like the idea of through their eyes, but it's kind of wordy and just sounds like any old poem by a teenager.