Fighting Children

Determination set 

in their faces,

they set out to their

doom

of trauma

and death.

Trained as soldiers

and 

are tossed into battle

where they are expected

to survive

and win.

The mirage

created of

invincibility

is quickly shattered

when caught by gunfire;

they may fight 

like soldiers,

but they die

like who they are:

children.

I was in Book City today, when I spotted a book about child soldiers called "They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children." The title really caught my attention, as well as the cover. It had the picture of a child soldier holding a gun and wearing a fuzzy pink teddy-bear backpack, mouth open and a determined expression. What shocked me was that this boy looked younger then I was.