When the war broke out
Poem by Haris Čolić
When the war broke out, I was only eight years old.
My uncle was captured. My mom told me a lot about him.
Hell broke loose in Bosnia.
In the period of ’92–95, everyone died around me.
I was just a kid; I didn’t understand why.
When the war broke out, I was only eight years old.
My father died fighting the enemy. He was defending our family.
Hell broke loose in Bosnia.
In the period of ’92–95, I had no friends at all.
I played with my mom in the basement, under candlelight.
When the war broke out, I was only eight years old.
My neighbor, Alem, was only five when the sniper shot him.
Hell broke loose in Bosnia.
In the period of ’92–95, grenades killed kids while they were playing.
I prayed with my mom for the war to stop.
When the war broke out, I was only eight years old.
My uncle never came back from the concentration camp he was in.
Hell broke loose in Bosnia.
In the period of ’92–95, I lost my uncle and my dad.
A few years after the war, I also lost my mom.
When the war broke out, I was only eight years old.
My uncle, my dad, my neighbor, everyone died around me.
I was just a kid; I didn’t understand why.