Child of War

"The Sleeping Beauty"

There are so many secrets that the koh-e-murdar keeps
The biggest is the secret of the lovely lady who sleeps

Since long ago people have been intrigued by what they see
wondering how the sleeping beauty of Quetta came to be

Some say it was Farhad who carved an image in the stone
of his sleeping Shireen so that he would never feel alone

Some say it's of Mujnu's Layla when she last closed her eyes
a permanent reminder for us all that true love never dies

For me it doesn't matter if either of these silly stories is true
because when I look at the sleeping beauty all I see is you

The "sleeping beauty" of Quetta

"Abandoned"

With tears in her eyes a desperate mother pleads
"Please take in my son I can not fulfill his needs"

The guard at the orphanage has to send her away
She's the third such mother to show up here today

In frustration she abandons her boy on the street
praying that God will provide a way for him to eat

Tears start falling down his sad sweet young face
"Please mother don't leave me alone in this place"

Her heart is breaking as she leaves hearing him cry
It's better this way she thinks than seeing him die

Today that abandoned boy is singing for some cash
maybe tonight he won't have to eat from the trash

"Child of War"

An Afghan child of war is what I see
sitting down there in front of me
His baba's old rifle nestled in his arm
ever ready to do his enemy harm
His eyes looking at every passing face
trying to find one out of place
He remembers the words his baba said
"Sleep is a luxury for the dead
One must do whatever it takes to survive
It's not easy here staying alive"
Words passed down to every Afghan son
as he's given his baba's old gun
In a part of this cruel world not that far away
where little children only wish they could play