BRICK STACKING 
 
He is all shyness 
And innocence 
With shaggy black hair 
His dark eyes avoiding 
Filled with quiet despair 
Walking with the others 
Down a long dirt road 
No bats are balls 
Not even a roller skate 
Their laughter small 
Not yet wide awake 
They go day after day 
Not off to school 
It's not allowed 
They can't participate 
Where lessons are learned 
And sports are played 
For they're off to work 
At the brick factory 
Where hundreds do toil 
Lured there by poverty 
Working little men 
Punished if slacking 
With hands so small 
Skin torn and scarring 
Bound for life 
To the brick stacking 
In Cambodia 
 
And he will ask 
Oh, someone 
Will you be devine 
Could you possibly exist 
Outside my mind 
As I stack my brick 
Will somone please care 
As I take my steps 
Will someone be there 
To save me 
 
Through this childs 
Little fingertips 
His exquisite touch 
Of gentleness 
He has come forth 
In splendidness 
To blossom with 
Pure intelligence 
For he should be 
A child adored 
The essence of humanity 
Now borne, unknown 
In a world of depravity 
And with his hand 
Bleeding and raw 
He strives hard 
To carry each brick 
For the wealthy that live 
In the distant far 
To build their foundation 
A fortress strong 
And for his labor 
Only pennies are paid 
He struggles for his family 
He needs to protect 
So that they won't starve 
Or ever beg 
Day after day 
His whole life long 
He begins to erect 
Inside his mind 
His own pyramid 
In Cambodia 
 
And he will ask  
Oh, someone 
Will you be mine 
Could you possibly be 
Someone to find 
As I stack my brick 
Will someone please share 
As I walk this path 
Will someone be fair 
To honor me 
 
Cee Boh Ling 
c. 11/07

This is so sad. I hope that we will soon end this.

Very good poem and the video is very good to inspire or sadin ppl but along with the poem its a good visual! 
Good work and keep writing!

This is a tragic thing.. All chilgren should be afforded the proper education and the chance to just be kids... Something has to be done about this...I am truly outraged at this....

A single voice, its echo meets two slumbering voices. 
Three strong voices cries loudly, and awakes other sleeping 
tones of voices. 
 
Cooperating human whispers, will eventually become a roar 
 
A howl that silences the hunger of power and the proclaiming of war 
 
©Margareth Osju Arverud.// Översättning /Translate: Anette© Broström 
 
Contact 
www.margarethosju.com

This is so sad. Unfortunately, child labor is happening all over the world. All children should have a chance to love & enjoy their life as a child.

My first attempt to post did not work, so here I am again. 
 
All children should be free to be children, not made to work for little or no money. All children deserve medical care and education and be allowed to grow into adults who will make our world a better place.

The poor kids. I wish I could take one home with me and let them be a kid.

It is sad that children are forced to work at such a young age and that their opinion of themselves depends on how hard they work. It is not right. I appreciate the people that took the videos so that people around the world could really see what's going on. That is the only way we see these things. I will lift up these children in prayer.

this is very tragic . . .