Seeking dreams on foreign soil
The creak of salt soaked timbers
oil and diesel assail the nose
stretched upon the deck huddled
stench of fear uncertainty
The creak of salt soaked timbers
oil and diesel assail the nose
stretched upon the deck huddled
stench of fear uncertainty
Journey of months for some
Others years of labour hardships
All are equal on this boat on fear
Drift sleep sip water sleep again
Others years of labour hardships
All are equal on this boat on fear
Drift sleep sip water sleep again
The sailors cruel no compassion
Greed money unlawful desire
Pray to god land be near
Day and night nothing changes
Greed money unlawful desire
Pray to god land be near
Day and night nothing changes
Shift in mood the sailors scurry
Shadow of grey upon the horizon
Anticipation the journey end
Booming voice a new journey begins
Simyart
Shadow of grey upon the horizon
Anticipation the journey end
Booming voice a new journey begins
In Australia the 'boat people' debate has been a political football for years causing so much unnecessary pain to the most vulnerable of people.
Most of Simyart's poetry is romantic and can be found at http://simyart.tumblr.com/
Most of Simyart's poetry is romantic and can be found at http://simyart.tumblr.com/
Posts
I think the boat people should be processed on the mainland and treated with dignity while they are being assessed, rather than imprisoned.
ReplyDeleteI find it strange that the other 98% of illegal immigrants is never mentioned. The ones who come on a visa from the UK, USA, NZ and elsewhere and never go back. It's always all about the desperate 2% who arrive in leaky boats, and I wish more politicians would draw attention to this fact rather than keeping quiet about it.
They wamp on about terrorism, border protection and these people having no papers, but I'm damn sure any terrorist organisation has the wherewithal to get passports and papers without too much trouble.
I'd care to bet that many of these people have never had any papers.
As Andrew Wilkie said; 'A terrorist will arrive by air with all papers in order and a well stocked bank account already established.'
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad. Imagine if we were if a state of civil war and had to leave the country by a rickety boat and no one would give us sanctuary.... I could weep thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteIn the United States, those who come to honestly contribute and build a better life are regularly penalized and deported with no opportunity to become legitimate while those who ignore the laws and abuse the system are rewarded with welfare and legal protection. Terrorists seem to have little trouble getting visas or passports.
ReplyDeleteOn the off chance anyone strays here, last night there began a series on SBS where some a group of Australians were taken to share the experiences of several families of refugees. Most of us have no idea of the violence that threatens the lives of people in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Africa. We read of another suicide bomber killing fifty and injuring a hundred but most of us cannot imagine how it feels to be there, trying to work and raise a family surrounded by the insanity of sectarian violence.
ReplyDeleteThe programme is very well constructed and really puts the volunteers in realistic situations. They are not coping.