CHILDREN WRITE OUT THEIR HOPE OF PEACE
Children write out their hope of peace
By JEANETTE OLDHAM
THERE'S something very wrong with a world in which children look on life as a mere 'flash'.
But this was the description one youngster whose school lost pupils in the Omagh bombing used yesterday.
Paula Devlin's sad insight in to the sorrow visited on children caught up in the tragedy is contained in a moving poem she penned in the wake of Ulster's single worst atrocity last month. She is one of six pupils from Drumragh School, near Omagh, who have poured out their hearts in poems which are published in the News Letter today to mark Unicef's World Children's Week.
They are the heartfelt and prayerful offerings from a generation in Omagh which suddenly saw a corner of hell this summer.
Each one is full of meaning and emotion, and every line is a heart-lugger.
Here we reproduce them in full in a week when children in pain or suffering across the world are in the focus of every-one's minds.
HOPE FOR CHILDREN IN OMAGH
Why? Why did this have to happen?
Why? Why has this tragedy happened?
Why? Why have hearts been broken?
This question can not be answered, there is no reason
We give hope for the people of Omagh so they will not suffer like this again.
So they will not go through as much as hearts that have been ripped apart.
We pray for those families who have had a relative that has died in the bomb so they can try to remember all the happy times with that person, so they can cope and live with the memory of the happy times.
Francie McArdle
Our hopes of peace, were shattered
A lot of lives destroyed
Knowing some of Omagh's dead
has made us all annoyed
Both religions were killed and maimed
Which makes me wonder about this game
There can be no winners
No matter in whose name.
Will Northern Ireland ever see peace?
We can only hope and pray
For we at Drumragh College will
Always stand together waiting for the day.
When we see our elected parties sit together
I think peace might not take for ever
Please don't let our hopes be, dashed
Because life is sometimes like only a flash.
Paula Devlin
WHY THE HAPPY TOWN OF OMAGH?
Will peace ever come to everyone
Whose hopes are now not growing
Will these people leave us alone to live in our home without knowing
That people in this world could do such a thing
To think that they have, taken people's precious lives
How long will it last until people forget about the blast
That destroyed our whole town
Our hearts are broken these people have spoken
That they do not want peace all around
If these people could see what they've done
They've killed and they've maimed
They should feel ashamed
For the hurt that they've caused everyone
We hope and pray that in this world someday
We can all live as one.
Corra O'Reilly
The 15th August was a terrible day
As men, women and children
Were out for the day
They all went about holding hands
But some vicious people had other plans
The warning came of a bomb in the town
And people started running to the bottom of town
They all gathered together like sheep in a pen
And at 3.10 the panic began.
28 dead and hundreds maimed
These vicious people were pleased with their game
But the grief that came from all over the world
Welded us together like mother and child
All we can hope for in our message of hope
Is that we can rebuild our lives with love and respect
And that our children together will become better friends
And these vicious people are at their end.
Thomas O'Kane
Can we rebuild our community
Can we bring back the lives
Can we wash away the sorrow
Can we have peace tomorrow
Is there a light that lies beyond
Is there a hope that never gives up
Is there forgiveness for those who committed
This act of horror this true evil
Break from the. sorrow
Find the strength from within
Pray for peace and togetherness
Throw the tears and sorrow in the bin
Work together fight for our future
Don't let them destroy your mind
Leave the tears and hatred behind
Build hope for us children
So that we for our children
Can pass on the baton
Of love for mankind
Hatred, bigotry, killing behind
Hope, hope what does it mean
It means love and laughter
And peace ever after
Tomorrow just you wait and see
When the world is free
Lisa Mallon
MESSAGE OF HOPE
Be Protestant or Catholic
Let's not bear a grudge
There's only one God
Let him be our judge
Let's sort out our problems
Or set them aside
Consider each other And all those who've died
We've all been affected
Some worse than others
Let's all stick together
Like sisters and brothers
A cruel act committed
A devious crime
A town devastated
For a very long time
But the coward who ran
From the scene on that day
Will be found and dealt with
We hope and we pray
Everyone's saddened
It's still disbelief
United we stand
In all of this grief
What does it achieve?
I don't understand
What good does it do
To spill blood in our land
For those that lost loved ones
And can't see a tomorrow
May God give you strength
And heal all your sorrow
Natasha McMenamin
By JEANETTE OLDHAM
THERE'S something very wrong with a world in which children look on life as a mere 'flash'.
But this was the description one youngster whose school lost pupils in the Omagh bombing used yesterday.
Paula Devlin's sad insight in to the sorrow visited on children caught up in the tragedy is contained in a moving poem she penned in the wake of Ulster's single worst atrocity last month. She is one of six pupils from Drumragh School, near Omagh, who have poured out their hearts in poems which are published in the News Letter today to mark Unicef's World Children's Week.
They are the heartfelt and prayerful offerings from a generation in Omagh which suddenly saw a corner of hell this summer.
Each one is full of meaning and emotion, and every line is a heart-lugger.
Here we reproduce them in full in a week when children in pain or suffering across the world are in the focus of every-one's minds.
HOPE FOR CHILDREN IN OMAGH
Why? Why did this have to happen?
Why? Why has this tragedy happened?
Why? Why have hearts been broken?
This question can not be answered, there is no reason
We give hope for the people of Omagh so they will not suffer like this again.
So they will not go through as much as hearts that have been ripped apart.
We pray for those families who have had a relative that has died in the bomb so they can try to remember all the happy times with that person, so they can cope and live with the memory of the happy times.
Francie McArdle
Our hopes of peace, were shattered
A lot of lives destroyed
Knowing some of Omagh's dead
has made us all annoyed
Both religions were killed and maimed
Which makes me wonder about this game
There can be no winners
No matter in whose name.
Will Northern Ireland ever see peace?
We can only hope and pray
For we at Drumragh College will
Always stand together waiting for the day.
When we see our elected parties sit together
I think peace might not take for ever
Please don't let our hopes be, dashed
Because life is sometimes like only a flash.
Paula Devlin
WHY THE HAPPY TOWN OF OMAGH?
Will peace ever come to everyone
Whose hopes are now not growing
Will these people leave us alone to live in our home without knowing
That people in this world could do such a thing
To think that they have, taken people's precious lives
How long will it last until people forget about the blast
That destroyed our whole town
Our hearts are broken these people have spoken
That they do not want peace all around
If these people could see what they've done
They've killed and they've maimed
They should feel ashamed
For the hurt that they've caused everyone
We hope and pray that in this world someday
We can all live as one.
Corra O'Reilly
The 15th August was a terrible day
As men, women and children
Were out for the day
They all went about holding hands
But some vicious people had other plans
The warning came of a bomb in the town
And people started running to the bottom of town
They all gathered together like sheep in a pen
And at 3.10 the panic began.
28 dead and hundreds maimed
These vicious people were pleased with their game
But the grief that came from all over the world
Welded us together like mother and child
All we can hope for in our message of hope
Is that we can rebuild our lives with love and respect
And that our children together will become better friends
And these vicious people are at their end.
Thomas O'Kane
Can we rebuild our community
Can we bring back the lives
Can we wash away the sorrow
Can we have peace tomorrow
Is there a light that lies beyond
Is there a hope that never gives up
Is there forgiveness for those who committed
This act of horror this true evil
Break from the. sorrow
Find the strength from within
Pray for peace and togetherness
Throw the tears and sorrow in the bin
Work together fight for our future
Don't let them destroy your mind
Leave the tears and hatred behind
Build hope for us children
So that we for our children
Can pass on the baton
Of love for mankind
Hatred, bigotry, killing behind
Hope, hope what does it mean
It means love and laughter
And peace ever after
Tomorrow just you wait and see
When the world is free
Lisa Mallon
MESSAGE OF HOPE
Be Protestant or Catholic
Let's not bear a grudge
There's only one God
Let him be our judge
Let's sort out our problems
Or set them aside
Consider each other And all those who've died
We've all been affected
Some worse than others
Let's all stick together
Like sisters and brothers
A cruel act committed
A devious crime
A town devastated
For a very long time
But the coward who ran
From the scene on that day
Will be found and dealt with
We hope and we pray
Everyone's saddened
It's still disbelief
United we stand
In all of this grief
What does it achieve?
I don't understand
What good does it do
To spill blood in our land
For those that lost loved ones
And can't see a tomorrow
May God give you strength
And heal all your sorrow
Natasha McMenamin
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/317
Published Date: 24-Sep-98
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