Walking Away

In response to 8’s blip yesterday, “Home” by Warsan Shire  
 
After home
 
after the shark’s mouth
the running with neighbours
and blood from the rubble
from the fire and the mud

after the boy with the gun
and the men…
(then, I      pretended
to sleep, imagined myself
in the shade of the apricot trees
from before, not my self)
 
after the journey –
over cold mountains
/adrift in the raft
/under the train
/crushed in the truck
/whatever they said,
those men…
 
after losing my sister
my neighbour, my mum
 
 
after...

here
new home but no home
‘No room,’ says the minister
‘It’s down to the councils.’
‘No room,’ say the councils
It’s down to the people.
 
and the people –
protesters
campaigners
petitioners
writers of letters
internet commenters
the indignant
the outraged?
 
we’re sorry
truly we’re sorry
but our room isn’t spare
 
after all.
 
 
 
The closure of the scheme to bring unaccompanied refugee children to the UK was this week blamed on it being a "pull factor" providing opportunities for people-traffickers, and on a shortage of foster-carers. Not that that responsibility should be undertaken lightly.

I plead guilty.