Life as a refugee

Having never sent my child to bed hungry, or travelled 8 miles for a litre of water, or slept outside in a foreign land, or seen my home town blown to pieces, I cannot say I know what life is like as a refugee.

Greed for land, selfishness in not wanting to share resources, revenge for killings of the past, prejudice towards foreigners on your soil and disagreement over religious practices can all lead to civil war.

In a way, civil war is worse than the international sort because it’s neighbours and friends and sometimes even family who are turning against each other as well as those of a different tribe, faith, group or clan.

I see in my mind a man from Kosovo, with trembling hands and a haunted expression. He has lost hope for a better future and therefore, the will to live:

I Thought I Knew Pain – Life As A Refugee

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 trickled 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 mile,

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 raped

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.

Life as a refugee is more traumatic than we would ever know – but for those who have a personal relationship with their creator:

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff to guide, they comfort and console me. “ (Psalm 23:4)