War Poem

• Nicholas Papadopoulos, Grade 9
• Poetry
• 2014

When Fathers bury their sons,
Illegal to drink but able to carry guns.
Prayers pursuing targets with fears of being late,
Australian families risk faith for foolish leadership sake. !
When tears and bullets collide,
Before the souls of weary hearts had a chance to confide.
When training and skill go to waste,
And the luck of a four leaf clover is embraced. !
When soldiers replace the sins of forged leaders,
And are overlooked by the everyday readers.
Buried in grains of desert sand,
Drowned within ink of the misinformed hand. !
Everyday forced to raise their flags in the burning sky,
Inevitable thoughts of being buried with their blankets if they die.
When loneliness’ fills the appetite,
Stars ease the soul at night, Welcome to Iraq. !
!