my sanctuary is an island

the ocean is a mob of people
saying
          you don’t belong here
          you are a criminal
what was my crime?
guilty
           of thinking that i could be a part
           of drops in the vast ocean
guilty
            of believing in The Dream
            that it was offered to everyone
guilty
            of thinking that i could become human
         
                                                                     i see its shores
                                                                         from afar
in the ocean
i am struggling
             to swim
             to be invisible
 

the island
fluctuates

grows
and
shrinks
based on the day

sometimes it is there
other times it vanishes

the ocean is a dangerous place
             that is what the elders say
             they don’t teach islanders to swim
             i have no choice but to try

where can I go when the madness spreads?
when the sickness is everywhere?
when the storm is brewing?

i sought refuge

in this city
where a country was born
and a Dream was formed

on the island
a door opened

a wave of newcomers
join the old

they stretch
arms wide
give me refuge

i see myself reflected
on the faces of the women
dark haired, wild and brave

there was something in their words
that let me know
they have been through the same journey

as they spoke
i found my voice

and i am

home

in my island
of migrants