REFUGEES

I don't remember much of the US media coverage but it seemed FOX and CNN conveniently overlooked the displacement of 100's of 1000's of people because of what we were doing

     

       Beautiful sparkling desert stars

          glow in the Bedouins sky

 

          Allah was born in this desert

               look up and see why

 

     Up and down the streets and alleys

             see them everywhere

 

       Bombed out statisics nowhere to go 

           with their dead eyed stare

 

         Wretched Refugees pathetic

              walking Zombie dead

 

              Reluctantly I lay my hand

              on a lice infested head

 

             Dysentary skin infection

             stench pigs would revile

 

                Give a girl an MRE

          and watch her force a smile

 

        Repulsive pathetic and pitiful

          Homeless is what we do

 

       We displaced an entire nation

                  courtesy of you

 

    Oh really? No you bought that s**t

                 About his WMD'S

 

           Listen pookie I was there

           So don't you bullshit me

 

      God was born here in this desert

     and gave this land his christening

 

                 Allah be praised

               is that what you say

                Oh sweet cheeks

                 He's not listening

Author's Note

One night We were sent to supervise refugees in a school auditorium in the south of Bagdad. We were a crack front line Marine infantry unit and thought it was total bullshit cause that was the kind of crap they pushed off on army reserve units. It was packed like a championship football game and We'd never been so close to so many civilians before. Imagine being packed into a building with hundreds of desperate people past the end of their rope that didn't speak english and so far as they were concerned their plight was all your fault. It was represively hot. It stank like sewage, sweat, and death and the electicity was out. Other than our field lights we couldn't see what was going on and shit was going on everywhere. The kids would come up to us in droves with their dirty little hands out begging "hey mistah you gimmi" That was about all the english most of them knew. We had care packages and a few MRE'S to give them. Most of tHe grown ups hung back cause they knew how bad our tolerence level was and if a grown up did speak up it was women that did it. Most of the men wouldn't even look at us. The kids didn't care. They knew we wouldn't hurt them and they just wanted something, anything they could hold as a light in all that desperation. It was One of those great experiences of my life that makes me the man I am today. EEEK...

Reviews

[nigrum homonculus]

damn boy. you express anger and frustration well in this. the last stanza is pretty heavy. i really do like this man. well done

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[sienikeha]

heavy. immensely sad.

this alone gets it across :

"God was born here in this desert
and gave this land his christening

Allah be praised
is that what you say
Oh sweet cheeks
He's not listening"

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[Pax]

your experience is something to ponder, and really intriguing. Your poem reflects the suffering of all refugee. sad, sad indeed. great job

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx

[Annabelle Lee]

Wow! I love this one.... and rarely can a poem ever make me fume... but you got it. Im not fumijg at you thpough... but with you.... amazing

[Baby Ricochet]

thanx