(Poem imagining a Syrian refugee affected by the earthquake Feb 2023)
I had mistakenly thought a piece of earth was mine
I had deluded myself in thinking life was fine
As a refugee displaced by war, I had finally found
A roof over my head, a place safe and sound
That could house my family, my dreams and me
To some extent quench my cravings for normalcy…
I thought I could put down roots there at last
Belong to a community, belie my nomadic past
*
The ground below me shook that day
Any semblance of stability was swept away
By the horrendous earthquake that shook
The walls of my house, my life, it took
My loved ones permanently away from me
Left me alive, unmoored, this catastrophe..
*
Benumbed, the threads I try to pick up again
To rebuild my life from scratch, but in vain
Seem my efforts to claim a piece of land for me
I have reconciled with being a nomad in perpetuity
Passion...unbridled 