See This Man Poem by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen

I see him as a young and lonely man.
He is a refugee from his own devastated land.
Tired and confused, he comes often
to this silent corner in town
to watch people and cars passing by
and to listen to the silent thoughts in his mind.


He turns around, sits down and focuses
his black eyes into the open blue sky.
And there comes rushing into his mind
the painful memories of his past -
the horrible experience of war
that separates him from his own loved ones.


Yes, see this man, this refugee in Denmark
He dreams of peace
He dreams of his friends
and longs to see them,
He dreams of a job
and a final return
to his beloved land
that is bleeding because of war.