by Liban Obsiye
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
He can see the shore in the far distance
But he must survive the angry sea to reach it
He can sense help nearby
But help waits for him to enter its waters
He can hear the mass whispering of prayers
But they are drowned out by the pounding of his heart.
Hope and happiness lurks near
But death is closer.
She waits for him to ring from Europe
But her mobile is dead silent
She prays for her darling son to reach safety
But he is in God’s hands now
She looks to the stars for comfort
But they are dark tonight
A mother’s tears drown the earth beneath
But the sun dries it up by morning.
The sailor looks out to sea
But the Migrants are not yet in his waters
The politicians wait to condemn evil traffickers
But they pray quietly that migrants do not reach their shores
The community waits to welcome them
But a few prepare to fight them back to the ocean
The rich governments rush to build camps of misery in foreign lands
But this does not deter the desperate and war weary.
Migration is the most contentious political and social issue the modern world arguably faces but it is not a crisis as it is described. A crisis is sudden and unpredicted but with increasing wars in the Middle East, enormous wealth gaps between continents and aspiration on the part of the poor and ill governed in the least developed and insecure nations in the world, more and more people are on the move seeking security and opportunities in the more developed countries.
This poem describes the pain of migration on all those involved. It calls for more direct and meaningful support and policy discussion on an international level and less politicking to formulate solutions to end this tragedy of our time.