Little Soldier Boy

I remember when I was younger I used to play with a bunch of these, putting them in a formation against each other and played out a battle in my head. It seems kind of weird and a bit morbid having children imagine people killing each other in a battle, but I guess that was a different time. This little guy was found lying on the tv table, an old relic from the past.

Seeing him now reminded me of a short song from a cartoon I watched when I was younger. Avatar: The Last Airbender, was aired on Nickelodeon from 2005 to 2008 covering 3 seasons. The show, throughout its runtime, explored adult themes such as death, love, war, and more. It was a show that taught life lessons, but still appealed to its younger audience. The short poem like song, Leaves From the Vine, is about in the perspective of a father whos son died in a war.

Leaves from the vine

Falling so slow

Like fragile tiny shells

Drifting in the foam

Little soldier boy

Come marching home

Brave soldier boy

Comes marching home