Continuing to speak about refugees in the Myanmar meeting, the pontiff recalled meeting a man in a refugee camp during his\u00a0April 2016 visit to Lesbos<\/a>. The pope said the man recounted how his wife had been killed before his eyes by terrorists.<\/p>\n \u201cThese things must be seen and must be told,\u201d Francis told the Jesuits. \u201cThese things do not come to the living rooms of our big cities. We are obliged to report and make public these human tragedies that some try to silence.\u201d \u00a0(https:\/\/www.ncronline.org\/news\/vatican\/francis-missionary-work-today-includes-opening-europes-closed-hearts-refugees<\/a>) \u00a0\u00a0When he speaks of refugees, Francis reminds me of the Muslim poet Warsan Shire.<\/p>\n Post #2\u00a0\u2013 Warsan Shire, \u201cHome\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n This is the second Warsan Shire poem for the Work Day\/Hard Time list. Her words remind me of Isaiah 58, yesterday\u2019s first scripture. As always, it\u2019s best to read the poet out loud, with pauses but I find it a lot harder, than most Work Day posts, to read these words out loud.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n no one leaves home unless<\/p>\n home is the mouth of a shark<\/p>\n you only run for the border<\/p>\n when you see the whole city running as well<\/p>\n your neighbors running faster than you<\/p>\n breath bloody in their throats<\/p>\n the boy you went to school with<\/p>\n who kissed you dizzy behind the old tin factory<\/p>\n is holding a gun bigger than his body<\/p>\n you only leave home<\/p>\n when home won\u2019t let you stay.<\/p>\n no one leaves home unless home chases you<\/p>\n fire under feet<\/p>\n hot blood in your belly<\/p>\n it\u2019s not something you ever thought of doing<\/p>\n until the blade burnt threats into<\/p>\n your neck<\/p>\n and even then you carried the anthem under<\/p>\n your breath<\/p>\n only tearing up your passport in an airport toilets<\/p>\n sobbing as each mouthful of paper<\/p>\n made it clear that you wouldn\u2019t be going back.<\/p>\n you have to understand,<\/p>\n that no one puts their children in a boat<\/p>\n unless the water is safer than the land<\/p>\n no one burns their palms<\/p>\n under trains<\/p>\n beneath carriages<\/p>\n no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck<\/p>\n feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled<\/p>\n means something more than journey.<\/p>\n no one crawls under fences<\/p>\n no one wants to be beaten<\/p>\n pitied<\/p>\n no one chooses refugee camps<\/p>\n or strip searches where your<\/p>\n body is left aching<\/p>\n or prison,<\/p>\n because prison is safer<\/p>\n than a city of fire<\/p>\n and one prison guard<\/p>\n in the night<\/p>\n is better than a truckload<\/p>\n of men who look like your father<\/p>\n no one could take it<\/p>\n no one could stomach it<\/p>\n no one skin would be tough enough<\/p>\n the<\/p>\n go home blacks<\/p>\n refugees<\/p>\n dirty immigrants<\/p>\n asylum seekers<\/p>\n sucking our country dry<\/p>\n niggers with their hands out<\/p>\n they smell strange<\/p>\n savage<\/p>\n messed up their country and now they want<\/p>\n to mess ours up<\/p>\n how do the words<\/p>\n the dirty looks<\/p>\n roll off your backs<\/p>\n maybe because the blow is softer<\/p>\n than a limb torn off<\/p>\n or the words are more tender<\/p>\n than fourteen men between<\/p>\n your legs<\/p>\n or the insults are easier<\/p>\n to swallow<\/p>\n than rubble<\/p>\n than bone<\/p>\n than your child body<\/p>\n in pieces.<\/p>\n i want to go home,<\/p>\n but home is the mouth of a shark<\/p>\n home is the barrel of the gun<\/p>\n and no one would leave home<\/p>\n unless home chased you to the shore<\/p>\n unless home told you<\/p>\n to quicken your legs<\/p>\n leave your clothes behind<\/p>\n crawl through the desert<\/p>\n wade through the oceans<\/p>\n drown<\/p>\n save<\/p>\n be hunger<\/p>\n beg<\/p>\n forget pride<\/p>\n your survival is more important<\/p>\n no one leaves home until home is a sweaty voice in your ear<\/p>\n saying-<\/p>\n leave,<\/p>\n run away from me now<\/p>\n i dont know what i\u2019ve become<\/p>\n but i know that anywhere<\/p>\n is safer than here<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Warsan Shire<\/strong><\/p>\n 1986<\/strong><\/p>\n https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Warsan_Shire<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Friday, December 15 Pope Francis has adopted the practice of visiting with Jesuits who live and work in each country to which he makes a formal visit. \u00a0Last November 29 he met with \u00a031 Jesuits in Myanmar and, on December … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/sites.udmercy.edu\/poetry\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/170\/2016\/09\/warsanshire.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n