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Vancouver Island Eyes on the World






Tuesday, November 13, 2018

“Home” (you only leave home when home is a shark's mouth) by Warsan Shire

 

“Home” by Warsan Shire



Refugees seeking sdylum


Original Text:

"Home" by Warsan Shire

no one leaves home unless 
home is the mouth of a shark 
you only run for the border 
when you see the whole city running as well 

your neighbors running faster than you 
breath bloody in their throats 
the boy you went to school with 
who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory 
is holding a gun bigger than his body 
 
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay. 

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. 

you have to understand, 
that no one puts their children in a boat 
unless the water is safer than the land 
no one burns their palms 
under trains 
beneath carriages 
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than journey. 
no one crawls under fences 
no one wants to be beaten 
pitied 






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