Refugee Life
By AG
Run that’s the first lesson
You learn where I’m from
To hell with kingdom will come
Run or you’ll be captured or tortured
By rebels with big guns, they want diamonds, tons and tons
Killing anybody children even nuns
No picks we all die
No mercy we all cry, and wonder why?
Help? Only refuge is suicide
Mediterranean Sea, is the place we said to meet
I’m so tired and these cuts from rocks hurt my feet
I need to get there fast, but I’m so weak
Hopefully they give me water, even better something to eat
Finally time to reap what my heart has sow
get on the savior AKA the boat
Pray, and paddle, to place I don’t know,
Somewhere, anywhere
But Sierra Leone
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
This poem left me silent for a long time after reading it.
I was caught up in the imagery and the experiences it only hints at. There was so much fear in the words that my own heart started beating faster and I was left feeling empty, tired, and very sad. There is so much suffering in this poem, but the words are beautiful. The impact is felt, especially when reading it slowly and letting the meaning sink in. I read it several times, and each time I discovered a new emotion, thought, or image that surfaced by association.
The line that made me laugh despite the heaviness of the subject: “get on the savior AKA the boat”
The line that will stick with me: “Run that’s the first lesson / You learn where I’m from”
Thank you so much for writing this.
The slant rhymes in this make it hang together really well as a piece of art; it is stark and short and delivers its message powerfully.
Sad that this is your reality. You spelled it out well.
AG,
I have come across this poem as part of a college course aimed at community engagement.
Wow, I’m speechless. This poem broke my heart. Refugees are not criminals. Why the U.S. justice system can’t understand that is beyond me. By the fourth line of your poem I had a feeling that this poem was about refugees, even though you never said that word. Calling suicide your only refuge is when my heart began to crumble. Your experiences and the tribulations bleeds through this poem. I hope you continue to write. You are so talented. Thank you for sharing you story.
Hello, firstly, the connection and imagery from this poem was very powerful, it created clear pictures from the words you wrote. This was amazing that you was able to paint this picture however at the same time, I feel empathy towards you that you had to go through this.
AG – the rejection of future really stands out in this, and is clearly the intention. There is no tomorrow or planning ahead, there is only today and surviving today. There’s such strong descriptions here – the use of short phrases “no picks we all die,” “Help! only refuge is suicide” also really struck me because after reading it a few times it became apparent – you only have times to speak the words that you need to, and no more. Everything is at a high cost and extra words have no place in your life.
Thank you for sharing this poem.