Song of the Refugee by A. S. Maulucci

I am a refugee,

I am black/brown

I am male/female

I come from a place of desolation and death

I am at the mercy of smugglers

My hands are bound

My mouth is sewn shut from fear

My limbs are like loose strings

My heart trembles

My eyes are wild

I bleed

I travel the rough seas

In small boats

Like a bug on leaf

Covered by other bugs

I wade through marshes

I crawl through the brush

I clamber over mountains

My legs are like twigs

My shoes are worn to shreds

My feet are blistered raw

My clothes are rags on a beggar’s back

I risk all

For a chance at freedom

My wife comes too

Holding onto our children’s hands

With an iron grip

They too are wrapped in rags

We carry sacks of bones and stones

Strapped to our backs

We carry dreams wrapped around our heads like halos

We seek refuge from suffering and want

From deprivation and death

We slink into the sacred land

Scrounging for bread

To fill our empty bellies

Hoping for life

Hoping for more than nothing

We can heal our wounds

We can grow strong again

We can build bridges and dams

We can divert rivers

We can move mountains

If you see us

Lend a hand

Or look away

But do not pity us

I swear on all that is holy:

We will rise to new heights

And take you with us.