There was a time
When men were men
And boys were boys
Still playing
With their silly toys.

They played pretend
And dressed like men
But in the end
They were just boys again

Their toys were props
With no true meaning
Guns without bullets
And knives
That could do no cleaving

That time has come
And that time has gone
Boys cannot be boys
But are forced into men
Their childhood ends
Before their fun can begin

This newfound maturity
Just damages them
These boys,
These boys who are men

They leave their homes
To fight again.
Now not with friends.

Far too young
They are taught
To raise a gun
And make a man naught

To extinguish a life
Much like theirs
To fight a war
About which nobody cares

These boys are young
Too young to fight
Many stand
Frozen with fright

Fear takes the place
Of the fun they might have had
And the death about them
Just makes them sad

Too young are they
To see these sights
Too young are they
To survive this fight

Without wounds deeper
Than a blade could cut
Without thoughts sadder
Than they have ever thought

They are like toy soldiers
All dressed up and straight
But they are frozen with fear
And cannot feel hate

Too young to fight
And too young to care
These boys are not men
And this is not fair.