little boy in the streets
little voice in his head
“it’ll be okay,
they’ll come back,” it said

little boy on a train
little hands around the bars
every station goes further
every scream lost to the stars

little boy told lies
they’ll take him to mum
prying off bony fingers,
nearly under their thumb

little boy meets little girl
her red and torn up skin
the purple round her wrist
the fetor of strange men

little boy and little girl
under the bridge they sleep
till loud voices in dreams
become reality

little boy taken
worked sunset to sunrise
little girl lost
life and hope gone in his eyes

little boy with fragile body
calloused hands, weakened knees
too young to be broken
lost to slavery

little boy in your backyard
little girl in your school
little children all over the world
what are you going to do?