Evil swept through your land.
You became the victim, not by your own hand.
The plane landed.
Eight of us disembarked.
We came with different skills to give you a hand.

A beautiful land, full of hills, dense forests and some gorillas.
Full of bananas and tea plantations.
Full of children and teen soldiers.
Teen police officers running the city.
Oh what had they done to you ?

They warned me not to give to beggars.
They warned me that the older ones,
Will beat up the young and weak for their alms.
But they were young, oh so young.
Oh what had they done to you ?

I came in a flat bed truck with my friends.
We stopped at the market place.
I never expected to see so many of you, all at one time.
You jumped on the truck as it stopped.
You were young, oh so young.

Thin, with tattered clothes and no shoes.
You stretched out your hands and begged.
Sir, sir, give me some money.
You motioned with your fingers toward your mouth
You were young, oh, so young.

One stood out from all the rest.
Though you were black,
Your face was green.
You were dying from starvation.
You were young, oh, so young.

They warned me not to give to beggars.
They warned me that the older ones,
Will beat up the young and the weak for their alms.
But they were young, oh, so young.
Oh what had they done to you ?

What was I to do, What was I to do ?
You said, ” Please give me your boots ?”
That took me by surprise.
I replied, ” I am sorry, they warned me, I cannot give it to you!”
You were so young, you were dying.

Part of me died inside.
My heart screamed out, my brain exploded.
With my skills and my money.
I felt helpless, I felt helpless, was my silent cry.
You were so young, you were dying.

They warned me not to give to beggars.
They warned me that the older ones,
Will beat up the young and weak for their alms.
But they were young, oh, so young.
Oh, what had they done to you ?

They took me to your camp.
There were 10,000 of you, not one over 16.
You waved and smiled.
You shouted ‘mersoongoo’.
You were young, oh, so young.

The car rolled to a stop.
I saw the fear in your eyes and you ran away.
The adults nearby said it was okay.
So you came back with smiles in your sunken cheeks.
You were young, oh so young.

A few laid in an open tent.
Under the hot, humid and clear blue African sky.
You laid motionless and the flies swarmed around you.
Your sunken eyes stared at the emptiness.
You were young, oh, so young and you were dying.

I asked the camp attendant,
‘What do the folks here eat, each day ?’
‘Corn meal everyday for the last two years.’
Then another part of me died, there was nothing left to say.
You were young, oh, so young.

All the work for the team and me was done.
The plane taxied down the runway for a takeoff.
The warnings embedded in my brain.
The sunken eyes and the green black faces stared back at me.
You were young, oh, so young and you were dying.

It was not what I had intended at the start of the trip.
Evil had left its marked upon its victims.
Your outstretched hands begged me.
You cried out for mercy, I felt helpless, I am slain.
I came, I saw, I wept, I am changed forever.