Waves of Hope, Oceans of Despair

They're children of the sand, sand in an hourglass Sands of time running out, running from their past Desert winds howl, howl like hungry ghosts Howling louder than bombs and tyrannical hosts Little feet march, march across scorched earth Marching away from the land of their birth They bear the weight, weight of family dreams Weighing down shoulders, bursting at the seams Borders blur, blur like tears in their eyes Blurring the lines between truths and lies They cross the line, line between life and death Lining up for chances to draw their next breath Waves crash, crash against fragile boats Crashing hopes as each vessel barely floats They're packed like sardines, sardines in a can Packing their futures in a desperate plan Water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink Watering down dreams as spirits start to sink They bail out fear, fear of drowning at sea Bailing out childhoods that will never be Stars guide them, guide them through the night Guiding lost souls towards a distant light They navigate hell, hell on earth and sea Navigating currents of inhumanity Dawn breaks, breaks like their mothers' hearts Breaking news tells of journeys that never start They wash up on shores, shores of indifference Shoring up courage in the face of interference Eyes hollow, hollow with things they've seen Hollowing out innocence, no longer clean They carry scars, scars both fresh and old Carrying burdens no child should hold Camps greet them, greet them with razor wire Greeting new lives with suspicion dire They're processed like goods, goods in a store Processing childhood through a revolving door Languages foreign, foreign like their new world Foreigners in lands where flags unfurl They learn new tongues, tongues that twist and turn Tongue-tied by cultures they must quickly learn Doors close, close in their hopeful faces Closing off futures, stuck between places They knock for entry, entry to dream Knocking down barriers, or so it would seem Years pass, pass like ships in the night Passing childhoods lost, a sorrowful sight They grow up fast, fast in a world so slow Growing pains are acute, with nowhere to go So hear their story, the story of the brave Stories of children who dare to save Their lives, their hopes, their right to be Lives risked on waves of a cruel sea Remember their journey, the journey of the soul Journeying forth towards an uncertain goal For in their eyes, eyes that have seen too much We see our humanity, slipping out of touch