Teary eyes with heavy heart,
Moving towards a new land
A place where I will be called a refugee
Which is far away from my home
For which my heartbeat forever.

Other's can feel the same
But cannot match the pain
I am the one who is alien
Why this is happening
Greed for money and power
Change my heaven into the fire

Leaving my motherland to other's land,
Do they accept me as their own
I don't know what will happen
But will keep praying, one day I will
be at my motherland
And the tag will become only a word.

I have spoken with young men,
who were forced to up and run.
Seen the wounds they carry,
from the barrel of someones gun.

I have Spoken with women,
women with tears in eyes that burn.
As they relate what was done,
because they wanted just to learn.

Ive seen teenage girls running,
in fear for their own lives.
Because someone has told them,
they must become someones wives.

I sat with the old men,
whose spirit would not yield.
And heard how rains of bombs,
were dropped upon their field.

I have heard the many stories,
of families torn apart.
Heard of those still missing,
and the pain in fragmented heart.

I've heard of persecutions,
because of the differing of views.
The scores of people disappeared,
without even making evening news.

I met with many others,
and watched and heard them pray.
Running in fear because for them,
it means death to live your life as gay.

I have talked with the children,
all facing life alone.
Parents not seen,
since the houses all got blown.

These most horrible of all things,
most of you will never see.
But someone needs to tell you
these are the lives lived for many a refugee.

I cough
And feel the sickness
Rise
And wonder
How many babies
Ache
From the same
Affliction
But are not
Treated
Because of their
Race
Or place
Of origin

are like some people,
they are victimized to death
within one's palm
they're taken down and thrown

they had power
but no more
human eyes show pity
for picking them,
but not humanity

pressed flowers are they
who sleep under the tents,
walking for decades,
searching for new hope
cause it's crumbled back home.

Gunshots boom in my ears
Cannons, my life anthem
Smoke and fog are part of the sky now
But in my home I shall stay.

I still remember oh-so-long ago
Colors bursted all around
No gunshots, no cannons
Sweet music playing outside.

A gunshot rings, a cry of pain
Blood is spilled before me
My mother lay there, cold and still
My eyes don’t want to believe.

People tell me to leave
To board their boat
Why should I? Who are you!
Mother, what shall I do?

You expect me to sail away with you?
No more sweet music, no more cooked rice?
Months and months in the big, cold sea?
Why should I?

They say look out for number one
But if survival is all that matters, what is the point of life?
I somehow manage to board your boat
I wish my mind worked as fast as my body.

Bodies clumped together
Little food I nibble on
My sibling squeezes my hand
Swish swish, the waves mock me.

I hug my knees as darkness surrounds me
Mother, please come back
Swish swish, swish swish
Quiet, waves, I need not to be mocked.

The captain calls
The boat comes to a stop at a bay
Apples and Oranges and Rice and Water, sweet sweet Water
The waves no longer mock me.

Mother, I made it!
I survived!
Aren’t you proud of me?
Should you be?

Watching people blow out their brains?
Was that a prize I wished to claim?
Was it worth it in the end?
If I saved my own life along the way?

People say it’s salvation
Is it really, though?
Having a language shoved down my throat?
Strangers spitting at me on the streets?

My mother’s blood still lingers on my hands
No matter how many times I wash it
Guilt swallows me up like a tidal wave
Could I have saved her?

So many lives I’ve loved and lost
Haunting memories still the front cover
of my terrorized mind
I will never be the same.