“The sea is two faced,” he said, fastening the orange life jacket to his chest.
“Hunger is eating our stomachs,” she said, wrapping her phone in plastic.
“They call it the Aleppo sling in the market where we sit illegally,” she boasted,
“They use it for crossings such as these.”
Old faces with joyless eyes,
Young children with old faces,
Faces like my daughter’s face, only
Strained.
“Let us die so we can rest,” the old woman sighed.
“At least we will lie in our graves.”
“We started together, we will finish together,” he told them.
“We live together we die together,” he sobbed as he held them.
All the words are actual words spoken by refugees as they documented their migration and escape from Syria. One particular little girl, my daughter’s age, made something catch in my throat. Wise beyond her years because a world made by adults broke her world.
Many thanks to the BBC documentary, Exodus. Available to watch online. Many thanks to the individuals who risked their lives for unwittingly lending me their words. Daily, I pray for you.
So very true…how many wars do we need to say that we don’t want War anymore! How many wars and how much sufferings do we need to say that war is not inevitable! We are waiting for another full blown war here too in this part of the world. Thanks for sharing your thoughts..
The situation in India is quite scary, not because of the threat from outside but more for the calls for war from within. There is no need. It’s too sad. I’m glad you liked the ‘poem’.
yes, it is inevitable for the people in India as we have welcomes hatreds as our means, mainstreamed the divide and rule policy, and people’s ignorance about corruption, inequality and justice. How can a country establish good governance, when the ideology doesn’t support equality and justice. No justice is made without protests while I am more scared that no such protests exist anymore…even if exists, they are so small in nature that it goes without any significance… I am so very depressed and upset and also feel helpless as we protested for many years and thought it would make some difference, but seems it is not.
Thank you and keep writing!
Speechless and sad and angry and disappointed at this avoidable human tragedy created by fellow humans. When will we learn?