The Death of the Innocents

The Death of the Innocents By Elton Camp About politics or government I take no position In this, yet another, “horrors of war” composition My memories of the Second World War are few My time was occupied with what little kids do The reasons for rationing were regularly reported That there was a foreign war that must be supported The attack on Pearl Harbor I don’t remember at all Or that President Roosevelt for war on Japan did call That atomic bombs were dropped, I didn’t know But learned of it in school much later, though Playing and riding my tricycle was the thing to do A Hiroshima child my age was then doing it too The Japanese child, I haven’t the slightest doubt As with me, didn’t know what the war was about I think, with horror, of that child’s searing pain If he survived, lifelong scars were sure to remain To praise war, some feel there are reasons to try Let’s not forget about all the innocents who die (Written after seeing a child's devastated tricycle on display in a Hiroshima museum)