MY FAMILY

my family, they come they come, ready to seek to
find; they walk, to see, to hold what's dear; my family
like yours- or any other, they come, still they come
to escape, implore, never to go back, ready to conquer
their fear, while searching for freedom, and in return
they will come if only for a little piece of dignity, with no
choices left, they come  they come wanting only to be
just be; decisions made, uprooted, they come, hand in hand
never to be separated, or left for persecution, still they will come
ready now to find themselves, to find somewhere else, yearn
to be free, words being the barrier, a hope against hope to
look for some place safe,  they come, they come, ready to face
the unknown they come, my family, they come, still they come
searching, willing to experience to assimilate no longer worried
with their burdens buried assuaged from a heavy heart, they come
they come, lost in to the crowds, seen, be heard, to be strong
to carry on- to be just like you and me- live the american dream
have faith in to believe, cries of humanity;  strikes a chord, have
someone accept them, take them in, leave no one left behind, they
will march through the heat, down the side streets, very little food
or water, with an occasional hand out, they will cross rivers deep
the thousands without sleep, still they are strong, with possessions
on their back, little children in tow, they look to the mountain wall
with all memories left behind, they proceed, another obstacle to
overcome, still they move in a wave, a force, to one day- be a model
citizen, made more resilient from struggles to over-come; they will
come my family, still they will come ; my family ready to follow in the footsteps of every emigrant who made the impossible possible

By Michael Perry