A poem (!) roughly about Harry&co. and the effect of the war on them. Also, the lines divide up the stanzas because it was letting me just have spaces or whatever. Sorry about that.

It's always been there,

underneath.

Since you were small,

a child.

This underlying threat, the threat no one wanted to speak about.

This war that never ended but slipped beneath the surface for a while,

waiting to pounce, to strike again.


It came back furious, with vengeance.

You were no longer small, but adolescent,

Not quite an adult, not quite a child.

But this war, this infestation doesn't care how old anyone is.

It'll strike over and over again reopening wounds, not hearing the screams.


You're a teenager, at that age when some call you irresponsible.

Irresponsible? They don't have a fucking clue.

They don't know that it's YOU beating back this monster, this war

(or at least, you're trying your damnedest)

They don't know how much it SUCKS to have to sit pretty in school and wait.

To watch people read the papers (papers of lies) and receive letters (letters of pain).

They have no idea.


And when the time comes it's you who are the first to answer.

You, the teens, the children, the irresponsible.

Because you see through all the lies of politics, of adults.

Because you've seen so much more than you should ever have to.


And seeing becomes doing and you're fighting.

Fighting someone easily twice your age.

Cursing them, being cursed at.

Watching Death swoop down upon the battlefield and trying,

trying your best,

to evade him.


And even when everything is over, for real this time.

When the horror is gone and no longer lurking,

it lingers.

It lingers and whispers from the walls, from the shadows.

It hisses in your dreams (your nightmares)

And voices are screaming in your head.

WHYWHYWHY?

And you have no answers.

Because you're still oh so young.


You've never known anything but war and death and never ending grief.

This vestige of your childhood,

haunting. whispering. crying.

Asking why? Why them? They were no older than you!

And you have no answers.

Because you were young,

because you're still young.

Well, that was more morbid than anticipated.