In shadows cast by cannons' cold embrace,
Where innocence and hope lay in disgrace,
A tale of war, of pain, and tears I'll trace,
To stir your heart, and let emotions race.

In distant lands where drums of battle sound,
The earth, once lush, with bloodied tears is bound,
The cries of mothers' hearts, a mournful mound,
As war's relentless fury does confound.

Oh, war! The cruelest specter of our time,
Unleashing horrors in its ruthless climb,
With casualties, a toll that is a crime,
Upon the souls of those in every clime.

The fields once filled with laughter and with bloom,
Now bear the weight of sorrow and of gloom,
As brothers, sisters meet a tragic doom,
Their dreams extinguished in a cold, dark tomb.

In trenches deep, where life is but a breath,
The wounded gasp, embracing bitter death,
Their limbs maimed, souls robbed of vital breath,
Innocence lost, no solace, only wrath.

The children, innocent, their eyes now dim,
Their playgrounds turned to battlegrounds, grim,
Innocence lost to war's relentless whim,
Their tender hearts bear scars that never skim.

And as the tears of war stream down like rain,
The world must heed the cries of endless pain,
For in our hearts, compassion must remain,
To end this cycle, break the deadly chain.

Let us not turn a blind and calloused eye,
To war's grim toll, the countless hearts that sigh,
Together, we must strive to unify,
To heal the wounds, and let love signify.

For in the depths of sorrow, we must find,
The strength to leave war's hatred far behind,
With empathy and peace, our hearts aligned,
In unity, our world, anew, designed.

.    .    .