Little Nicaraguan

On a dusty road
She lies in the heat
With her tiny heart
Struggling vainly to beat
 
Her father kneels over her
In his hand is a knife
Probing for the bullet
That has shattered her life 

In this war-torn country
Where it’s kill or be killed
The void of oppression
Will never be filled
 
Why this has happened
You could never explain
To this four year old girl
With eyes full of pain 

Her mother stands helpless
With tears in her eyes
As her little Nicaraguan
Quietly dies 

Innocent victims
Of a horrible war
Her so-precious life
Will matter no more

Honduras CA, 1986