Refugee O Refugee

By Saul Hirshbein

Refugee! O Refugee! 

a whisper, a breeze, wind between the leaves,

waves upon waves that crash on no shore, diamonds amongst diamonds that are turmoiled in coal. 

They are dreams 

They are faces 

They are faraway lands lost in forgotten places

They are flight full birds caged in wires

They are forced pilgrims in search of prayers

looking for a home in the hope of a storm 

looking for a place to be amongst the world. 

Refugees of burned temples 

burned lands and sieged castles 

made to run and wade the waters. 

Refugee! O Refugee! 

Tell me what has time done to thee? 

What has this cruel world made you see? 

Struggle, destruction and greed have made you run and brave the seas. 

Unknowing charts and dangerous deeds

all because of a deceit, the conqueror’s deal. 

The chain and steel 

the exploit peace; this had made you run to the unknown searching cities for your children to grow 

but what happens when the child washes up dead? 

What happens when countries don’t accept your beg? 

You are left there on your own at bay, and what is to come? 

Only politicians will say.

 Refugee! O Refugee! 

Where has freedom hid from thee? In the hulls of ships at sea? 

Taking oil, crude and greed, drawn for your own lands and left in drought 

homes in rubles and ruins of doubt, 

bombs of hate and terrorist crimes have made you face the moving tides 

have made you pack and go decide: 

life or death there is no right 

both wrong to be a 

Refugee! O Refugee! 

Barbed wires replace white fences; life is clung to rope and braces,

 barricades that deny thy entrance. 

Governments that deny thy faces and a sea of hope that will waive your chances; 

all the while the world holds still for thee 

Refugee! O Refugee. 

By Saul Hirshbein