Mourning the suffering of the refugees

Family in Erbil refugee camp

Tikkun magazine with Rabbi Michael Lerner has published this reflection and poem today by Somali poet Warsan Shire.

The poem below presents the most authentic understanding of the situation of the world's refugees in the contemporary world. They are momentarily in the consciousness of the world's humanity, but will too soon fade. People have momentarily been moved by the great suffering of these refugees, and particularly their children, but politely ignore the role that the US and other "advanced" industrial societies have played in creating the economic and political conditions which have led to the vast increase of refugees...

no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it's not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats into your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you wouldn't be going back.

Read on: www.tikkun.org/nextgen/24686