Refugee Poem by Angela Wybrow

In your country, I have come to stay,
Leaving my homeland far, far away;
I wish for acceptance; I wish for love;
I wish for blessings from the Lord up above.

A brand new life is what I now seek,
But, your complicated language, I barely can speak;
I want to study and get good grades at school,
And make some new friends - that would be cool!

I'm hoping to live a much happier life:
Get a degree, a good job and have a wonderful wife.
I have a second chance: a brand new beginning;
The huge challenge ahead, I hope soon to be winning.

The country I left was a total war zone;
Constant fear worked its way through my bones;
We all have thoughts; we all have feelings;
We all have souls which are in need of some healing.

About your country, I am excited to learn,
But, for my homeland, a candle still burns;
I love to revel in the peace and the quiet,
As, back at home, every day was a riot.

From my mind, I still can't erase
The sights and sounds of those war-torn days;
But now I have left all those troubles behind,
I'm hoping that, one day, I can free up my mind.

There are those who wish us to return
To our homelands, as we're not their concern;
Because of my language, religion or race,
I've had a couple of people spit in my face.

But, on the whole, my life has improved,
And my once troubled soul has been greatly soothed;
No longer are we dodging bullets and bombs,
And the threat of death is over and gone.

A living nightmare, I have managed to flee,
And the future is looking a lot brighter for me;
I will take my new life one step at a time,
And, like a star in the sky, I hope I can shine.