Charlie was a hopeful child

Aged about 4 or 5

Had dreams of hope all through the night

But awake struggled to survive

He lives in a muddy dirty hut

Slept all night on the floor

Gets chills and colds all through the night

Because he had no door

No clean water to wash the sleep

Away from tired eyes

And walking through the village

Starving babies roar and cry

The burning sand tortures blistered feet

Even sweat dries to the skin,

The skin now splits just like a pod.

There small bones shown, small and thin

Torn ears of corn and poor rice plants

Are all what can be grown

The screaming of children in liquid sun

And old women weep and moan

Charlie’s mother and father had perished

Leaving him all alone

Only himself to comfort him

Only himself to build his home

Innocent babies now whimper

Most of them lay very still

Only a few moments from death

Most of them weren’t even ill

There are no schools in the village

Charlie cannot even read

Charlie cannot understand a single sum

Charlie cannot even feed.

Dehydration is the worst killer

And starvation is making you hollow

Now not even the purest of water

Could ever get Charlie to swallow

His eye sight is all very blurry

His eyes are now itchy and sore

He can only see colours flashing bright

Charlie cannot see any more

Charlie now wheezes to grasp the air

His weak heart fighting helplessly

He lies all alone in the scorching sand

Ready to join his family

Charlie was a hopeful child

Aged about 4 or 5

Had prayers that he would stay alive

But poor Charlie had indeed died

(It’s too late to help Charlie now. But with our help we can save other young children from sharing Charlie’s fate. Thank you!)