I saw a girl once, in a far-away place,
whose face I can still see, she was begging
She was very young, six at best
And she stood on an empty street.

I took a picture, I don’t know why
Begging kids and old ladies weren’t rare
Yet this place called Varres was deserted it seemed
Except for this girl, and her stare.

She held up her arms, towards us to stop
Or to give her some food or some bread
But we didn’t, we drove on, only seconds had passed
And the girl watched us pass – we were gone.

Our journey continued, our mission to get
To Tuzla, in our white UN lorry
But that girl, so young, with a family I hope
Stayed behind, no food in her belly

Why didn’t we stop, for this girl in the street
Her eyes so wide and innocent
Why didn’t we stop, give comfort somehow
Too late now but god if only

Now years have passed, young soldiers no more
She’d be grown up and in her twenties
But Vares that day, deserted but for her
I’d go back and give her everything

The picture I have, in a box somewhere
Still captures her face as she begged
I pray she is well, and her life has changed
And not as it was back then