The Distance between Hearts

(Tribute to a refugee)

• Eyes peer through windows

• Into the dark dark night,

• My mother hugs us tightly

• Keeping us out of sight.

 

• My father whispers to her

• With us huddled on the floor,

• As we hear a stranger shouting

• with the banging on the door.

 

• No time for tears

• Nor heart to pound,

• He looks for God,

• Then… turns around.

 

• Her eyes do speak

• Without a sound,

• We hastily leave

• As death us hound.

 

• She softly sobs

• For while we flee,

• Gunshots riddle

• … a silenced plea.

 

• Houses on fire

• Glimmer against the night sky

• Tortured by thoughts

• perplexed as to why?

 

• We run with the fear

• All through the night,

• With the dawning of day

• not seen by the light.

 

• Along thorny trails

• With blistered feet,

• Scavenging for morsels

• Like animals we eat.

 

• This road is haunted

• By the half living dead

• Sharing our courage

• With others who tread.

 

• Corpses stare back at us

• Corpses stare back at us

• As if finally free

• From the harrowing tales

• … from that which we flee.

 

• I finally find myself

• In your land

• With my battered body

• And my outstretched hand

 

• I look at you

• And you look at me,

• After this distance travelled

• What

do we

see…

By Faghmieya Darries