Having never had to send my child to bed hungry, travel 8 miles for a litre of water, sleep outside in a foreign country, or seen my home town blown to pieces, I cannot say I know what life is like as a refugee.
Greed for land, refusal to share resources, revenge for past killings, prejudice towards foreigners on your soil and disagreements over religious views, can all lead to civil war.
In a way, it is worse than international feuds because it is neighbours and friends and sometimes even families who are turning against each other.
In my mind, I see a man from Eastern Europe. He has trembling hands and a haunted expression. He doesn’t know Jesus personally, so for him, it is the end of the road.
*****
I Thought I Knew Pain
I thought I knew pain,
Until I saw them shoot my wife.
They grabbed her like a piece of meat,
And took away her life.
She fell to the ground,
They shouted, “Keep moving south!”
Her body bent in agony,
Dust flew into her mouth.
I jumped down to hold her,
Her body looked a wreck.
Her eyes had stopped moving,
Blood tricked down her neck.
I was hit in the stomach
With the butt of a gun.
They pulled me away,
I cried, “Look what you’ve done!”
They laughed as they went
And shot her once more,
They called me a dog,
And my beloved, a whore.
Enjoying their evil,
They were full of mirth,
Telling us all
We don’t belong on this earth.
I looked at the solider
As she lay at his feet.
We used to play together
As kids, in the street.
We were once neighbours
Who looked out for each other.
We had him round for Christmas,
She nursed his sick mother.
I cannot believe
What I have become.
I stare into space,
My heart is so numb.
We’ll be across the border
In less than a while,
But all I can think of
Is my dear wife’s smile.
The victim of
An atrocious crime.
I couldn’t even hold her
For one last time.
A man pushed his way forwards
And came up to me.
He said, “See it like this,
Your wife is now free.
But my girl was abused
By five soldiers over there,
Now she’ll never have the children
She wanted to bear.
She walks two steps,
Then falls down in pain,
She cries day and night
That she’s going insane.”
I look at this family,
How will they cope?
I think of my wife –
I’ve lost all hope.
Before this war started,
I thought I knew pain,
Until I saw how people
Can be so inhumane.
*****
