The Refugee in Quarantine

Stay at home and shelter in place-

How do you follow this advice when you face

Lack of a solid roof over your head

When home is a makeshift shelter instead?

**

We had already tempted fate by staying alive

We had learnt to be grateful, having survived

Civil war, strife, journeys with dangers fraught

To live precariously, ourselves we had taught

**

In camps with conditions less than ideal we stay

Relying on the strength of human connections every day

When the piercing wind chills our bones at night

The warmth of our loved ones gives us respite

Resources are scarce; the little we have we share

Truth be told, we exist because for each other we care..

**

This virus is coming, to add, I must say

Insult to injury for us in every way

Being refugees has left us in a state

Where it is impossible to separate

The advice to wash hands often is futile

There is no running water around for miles…

**

Fear of disease spread grips me, but then

I realize that compared to most women and men

We are already a group selected by fate

Being resilient is probably our quality innate

We have weathered many storms and stayed alive

God willing,  this trial by fire we shall survive..

 

(Image source: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/feature/2020/04/21/Lebanon-coronavirus-refugee-healthcare: Ali Hashisho/REUTERS)