child abuse
violence, rape and incest
time served’s NOT enough!
children’s rights
smugly shouting “youth’s Justice”
have we really tried?
children crying
empty bellies aching
in the night
child soldiers
fighting their fathers’ wars
victims of our sins
lost childhoods
never reaching puberty
justice not for all
youths’ injustices
landfills filled with promises
adults’ failing youths
(c) Tournesol ’19/04/01
Tournesol dans un Jardin 
I commend people like yourself working in this field. You must hear some heartbreaking stories on a regular basis. Powerful cascade of haiku.
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Thank you! Since I have been writing more and more, I find it therapeutic so I can continue to do what I love. So in a way, I should thank my readers as well:)
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Very powerful haiku.
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Thanks so much. I do tend to get on my soap box at times and am supposed to reserve this for Stop The Stigma blog…oh well. (grins)
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A long, long time ago I was a typist at the county “Children and Youth” (Department of Social Services) agency. I took the caseworkers’ notes and typed them up for the court judges. That was difficult enough — I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have been the caseworkers trying to “fix” these situations. And too many times the judges *wanted* to terminate a parent’s rights because the parent was simply unwilling to change and the child was being hurt – permanently – but the law wouldn’t allow that to happen. And now – in the news – seeing how the kids in Israel and Palestine really don’t have a chance at growing up “normally” — it’s heart-wrenching.
Anyway. I’m preaching to the choir. A great post, Cher — so sad, but very well written.
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Thank you, Jen. When the kids were little I was a court typist at home…I transcribed the tapes at home the court stenographer brought me. Some stories I would blush and my kids wanted to listen to the Judge…not this one, kids! I was looking at the news briefly and listening on the radio a lot today since I`m travelling almost 2 hours by car…I can`t believe we allow kids to suffer like this…it makes me sick.
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Ah …. so you know all about the court typist deal then … sometimes it was heart-rending … but occasionally it could be pretty juicy! (So to speak ….) Usually with Children & Youth is was just plain infuriating. Forget three strikes — it was more like “unending strikes” — and the kids had no chance to grow up “normal”. Sorry about your commute though. That really stinks.
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But it brings me to sleep with my girls, a Golden (Mya) and G.Shepherd (Heidi) so `that`sfine.
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Nothing like a doggy’s love! 😀
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they are pretty big too. Thursday I will work a bit from home with my Bette so she wont be so lonely.
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Powerful write Cher … the problem as you state is world-wide and the hypocrites abound. There’s really so much that could be done if only we’d stop pretending that there is justice and really get down to work on the problem.
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Thanks, Georgia, yes there is a lot to be done and so much can be done as preventive measures which would be less costly (sigj)
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Yes indeed … i agree, if there were only the will to really tackle the problem, prevention would be the best way.
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so much pain ,Cheryl ! and ths one really chokes me !
child soldiers
fighting wars of their fathers
lost childhood
how true ….! and this is happening everywhere !
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Thank you for reading and that particular image is one that I wrote after watching the news and seeing shots of children…I felt it a must that we, who live in the West are not aware, enough, of the reality of youths in other parts of the world…it is so sad.
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welcome Cheryl
when i see the movie ”blood diamond ” , a social worker character ,Benjamin Margai says ” do you know where the word infantry comes from?” and he gives the reply too
”it means -child soldiers- they are just children ”
the next moment he is killed by a child soldier ! …
and hope you will like my ;;justic” too !
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