Thoughts.com Blogs - To Those Children

Seven days ago, time forever ceased at 2:28 PM...
Seven days later, at 2:28 PM, citizens of China stood and paid a 3-minute silence tribute to the victims of the 5-12-08 earthquake that devastated Sichuan province, while air raid sirens and horns of cars, trains and ships wailed in grief. Before the silence tribute, I was reading an anonymous Chinese poem dedicated to the children who lost their lives in the tragic disaster. The poem has been spreading over the Chinese network and touching millions of internet readers. I understand that the emotions of the poem may not be fully expressed through my unprofessional translation, yet I couldn’t help but present it to you, hoping its meaning could awaken something common, and deep, within our souls.

TO THOSE CHILDREN…

Child
Quickly, tightly
Grab mommy’s hand
For the road to heaven
Is too hard to see
In the dark
Mommy is afraid
To see you
Hurt your head
Grab mommy’s hand
Quickly, tightly
Let mommy walk with you

Mommy
I’m afraid…
I cannot see
Heaven’s road
Cannot see
Your hand
After the wall
Fell
The sunlight
Disappeared
I no longer see
Your loving eyes

My child
Walk on…
The road ahead
No longer has sorrows
No more textbooks
And daddy’s fist
Remember
Mommy and daddy
Will walk with you
In another time
Another place

Mommy
Don’t worry…
Heaven’s road
Is a bit crowded
I see many
Classmates and many
Friends of mine
We tell each other
Not to cry
For every mommy is
Our mommy
Every child is
Mommy’s child
In the days
Without me
Please mommy
Give your love to
Those kids alive

Mommy, mommy
Don’t cry…
Tears cannot
Light up
Our road ahead
Let us walk
Walk slowly…
I will remember
You and daddy
Remember
Our promise
To walk together
In another time
Another place

As we mourn for the lives lost, let us continue to lift up those who have been deeply hurt by tragedy, whether physically, emotionally, or mentally. Let us pray especially for the children who have lost their mom/dad or become orphans.