United for Refugees

Three years ago, President George W. Bush got into trouble for calling the victims of Hurricane Katrina "refugees." In his mind, they were refugees. Perhaps he didn't understand the correct use of the term. Click on the post title for more information about what is happening with the 14 million people who are real refugees.

Derived from the French word refugie,the term was originally applied to someone seeking asylum. After 1914, refugee was used to denote someone fleeing home, often because of political upheaval, war, or a massive disaster.


A Refugee's Heart

My home is gone,
fires and burning flesh consume my life's memories and the fruit of my body.

Screaming,
pain,
breathless running,
hiding,
thirst,
headaches born from hunger.

Moving into nowhere,
looking for the unsought and unwanted,
needing anyplace that is dry and secure.

Noise, noise,
strange, angry, frightened faces everywhere.
No music.
No laughter.
No peace.
Night, night, it is always night.
The sunrise is a curse of burning fire.
The moonlight is a drenched flame in the sky.
They are cold, calculated, and timed for agony.
Never ending agony.

Running, but never arriving.
Stopping, but never resting.
Sleepless dreams.
Cursed awakening.
Never ending agony.
Cursed remembering.
Never ending agony.
Cursed seeking.
Never ending agony.

(c) D. Evans, 2008