Children Say; Will They Be Heard?

"Children say, children say
'We open our minds as one'
But one more day slips away
Why don't the dreams of the young never come to be?"

The face of routines and traditional social graces
Appear to stifle the generations to come
Take some time for them to soak in the world
And realize the words of the adults were not dumb

"I keep to myself what I might share with others
But they don't seem to understand
I open my mouth to rediscover
That I don't have the words at my command"

Trials and tribulations that were to be forever conquered
Constructs that should change present realities
Never factored in the obstinate hearts
Can still bring societies crashing down to the knees

"Holdin' out for a world so much better
But I'm a stranger in a stranger's land
All my friends have sold out, couldn't handle the pressure
Countin' their blessings, tryin' to salvage what they can"

Gadgets and gizmos suppose to make life so much better
Making ordinary tasks easy and grand
Fracking, drilling, and mountain top removal
Never occurred that it may be beyond what the earth can stand

"When I overhear my parents' conversations
Well, I'm struck by the things they say
It seems they traded the years for mere complications
Who ever thought it could end this way"

Growing up always thought the saddest situation
Was a parent who had to bury a child
Now we are dumbstruck when the parents are absent
Grandparents make the memorial for a grandchild in a world so wild

"Children say, 'Come what may
Be strong for the friends you've known'
But one fine day, far away
We remember the love we used to own"


"Children Say"
Lyrics courtesy of Level 42, KING, MARK / GOULD, PHILIP / LINDUP, MICHAEL DAVID