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REFUGEES

                   We are Refugee animals, they and I.
                 The fight to survive is what it's all about,
                           The fight to survive.
                         Have you wondered why
                            We settle in groups?
          Have you wondered that it might be for protection?
We hitch lifts on the ocean where winds and currents carry us to safety
    And then, after a while on the long journey, some of us shrink
     Like birds in flight lose the thickness of non-essential organs
                                 To be light.
                   Some of us come from far, far away
                     Like hump back whales we are,
       Like us they are, travelling more than 8,500 kms each way.
                   And when we get to the foreign land
       Still shocked from attacks of gunfire, bombs and famine,
                              When we arrive
           Away from governments which lock up our rights
                    And burn our ancestral memories,
             When we arrive and expect to be offered safety
            Like, because we are human, we expect that right
              The right to safety we expect wherever we go
                                Then we find
                 The graves with our ancestral memories
                      Violated by suspicion and fear.
             No, we do not come to take away your minerals
             Like an African elephant or wildebeest going to
                          Search for essential oils.
  No, we do not run away from harsh winters where we come from
                      Like a Caribbean spiny lobster,
                   But like them we run to find shelter.
                     Not like the monarch butterfly,
      Which holds the record for the longest insect migration, for
                     We do not flee to break records.
                         Not like that, we are not.
But like starving animals, we also flee because we are hungry and dying
                      We flee because we think the
            Declaration of Human Rights Is respected by all.
                  No, we do not go in search of a mate
        Like the male sperm whale looking for places to lay eggs
   Nor are we like the desert locus, looking for places to give birth.
                 We fight, fly, flee, for the right to safety.
Some of our animal refugee cousins form other systems of migration,
   Where only one sex or part of a species’ population is involved.
                   We are different, for when we come
             We would like to be joined by our children too.
              Please do not deny us the right to our families
Just because we are refugees.
                        Oh if only we too could have direction-finding systems
                                  Which other animal refugees enjoy.
                         They have geographical landmarks, the sun and stars
                       To give them visual clues, polarised light to guide them.
                            We travel light but without light for guidance,
                            Without smells, tastes and sounds to guide us.
                We cannot read the wave and current patterns of the countries we cross.
                        When we seek refuge, our senses, too, are disorientated
                    By each tiny variation of the mood of the new land we land on.
                          Like birds, we would like to navigate our destinies
                                   Through sun, stars, moon and sea.
                 We smell, taste and hear the waves and current patterns of humanity
                                  Which sometimes is kind, often not.
                                  Migratory animals we, too, might be
                                     But how different it would be
                                 If the lands for which we are heading
                 The lands where we come because we think we have an attachment
                             The lands for which we gave food and music
                                       When they landed in ours,
                Whose sailors we fed and respected until they drew their guns on us –
                                           If only those lands
                                          Would respect us too.
                                   We do not come to take any land
                                 We come because we have memories
                                Of broken dreams of guns and power.
                         We come in peace because we think we are welcome.
                              We come because we want to help you too,
                         We offer you our strength, our knowledge, our ways.
                                      So you can be better off too.


Written for Refugee Week 2011 ©Monica Clarke
email: monicaclarke@edev.org.uk

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Refugees. A Poem

  • 1. REFUGEES We are Refugee animals, they and I. The fight to survive is what it's all about, The fight to survive. Have you wondered why We settle in groups? Have you wondered that it might be for protection? We hitch lifts on the ocean where winds and currents carry us to safety And then, after a while on the long journey, some of us shrink Like birds in flight lose the thickness of non-essential organs To be light. Some of us come from far, far away Like hump back whales we are, Like us they are, travelling more than 8,500 kms each way. And when we get to the foreign land Still shocked from attacks of gunfire, bombs and famine, When we arrive Away from governments which lock up our rights And burn our ancestral memories, When we arrive and expect to be offered safety Like, because we are human, we expect that right The right to safety we expect wherever we go Then we find The graves with our ancestral memories Violated by suspicion and fear. No, we do not come to take away your minerals Like an African elephant or wildebeest going to Search for essential oils. No, we do not run away from harsh winters where we come from Like a Caribbean spiny lobster, But like them we run to find shelter. Not like the monarch butterfly, Which holds the record for the longest insect migration, for We do not flee to break records. Not like that, we are not. But like starving animals, we also flee because we are hungry and dying We flee because we think the Declaration of Human Rights Is respected by all. No, we do not go in search of a mate Like the male sperm whale looking for places to lay eggs Nor are we like the desert locus, looking for places to give birth. We fight, fly, flee, for the right to safety. Some of our animal refugee cousins form other systems of migration, Where only one sex or part of a species’ population is involved. We are different, for when we come We would like to be joined by our children too. Please do not deny us the right to our families
  • 2. Just because we are refugees. Oh if only we too could have direction-finding systems Which other animal refugees enjoy. They have geographical landmarks, the sun and stars To give them visual clues, polarised light to guide them. We travel light but without light for guidance, Without smells, tastes and sounds to guide us. We cannot read the wave and current patterns of the countries we cross. When we seek refuge, our senses, too, are disorientated By each tiny variation of the mood of the new land we land on. Like birds, we would like to navigate our destinies Through sun, stars, moon and sea. We smell, taste and hear the waves and current patterns of humanity Which sometimes is kind, often not. Migratory animals we, too, might be But how different it would be If the lands for which we are heading The lands where we come because we think we have an attachment The lands for which we gave food and music When they landed in ours, Whose sailors we fed and respected until they drew their guns on us – If only those lands Would respect us too. We do not come to take any land We come because we have memories Of broken dreams of guns and power. We come in peace because we think we are welcome. We come because we want to help you too, We offer you our strength, our knowledge, our ways. So you can be better off too. Written for Refugee Week 2011 ©Monica Clarke email: monicaclarke@edev.org.uk