Their Strength

A bunch of misfits banded together.
Children that have experienced more
Than most adults ever will experience.
A variety of different characters
That share one thing in common.

They came from country towns and huge cities.
Different ages, opinions and outlooks,
Yet they managed to let each other in
on their most dark and personal memories,
Even though they had only just met.

Some stories sadder than others,
And some heartbreak greater than others.
But in the midst of these tragedies,
The children can still find strength to smile
And still sum up energy to laugh.

Though eyes are bright and young,
They've seen more than the old.
And even though they have had so much pain,
They still have hearts of gold with no regret,
And do not show any spite or hate.

Outsiders can't even begin,
To understand their strength.

Author notes

Legacy is an Australian non-profit organization that supports the families of those who have died because of military or police duties or in the case of military, those whose partner/parent/guardian have served overseas. Every year there is an annual camp that children from across the country who are a part of Legacy come to attend.
I am part of Legacy as my father was a Colonel (very high up) in the army and died because of a military doctor's misdiagnose.
There were around 57 wards, meaning 57 children missing a parent. I heard some very sad stories from the mouths of some very young children. A little girl I met, had found her father hanging in a wardrobe. Along with being a veteran, her father's depression was linked to service in the military. This little girl and her 2 brothers were the kindest and purest people I've ever met. One night she began to cry at the mention of her father's name and said how much she missed him and it was hard for me to hold back tears later on.
Another 12 year old girl I met told me how her father was shot several times then run over on police duty, another brother and sister told me how their father had died in a car accident whilst on duty when they were only 3 and 6, another boy told me how his mother had died and his father had run away so his grandparents became his guardians and because his grandfather was a veteran he became a member of Legacy.
These are just some of the stories that children told me. Yet in all of this sadness these children were some of the most purest lovely people I have ever met and I am proud to have been able to spend time with them.

I don't want any comments unless their is an error in the poem or if you can truly relate to this poem of meeting children with so much strength. Other than that I don't want any comments like 'OMG this was so good I can relate to this because my parents are divorced!' BIG NO NO!!
Anyway Hope you enjoyed.