A poem by Parwana Amiri
Parwana Amiri is an author, poet and activist from Afghanistan who is living in Greece since September 2019. Her poetry may seem softly written, but it contains hidden stories and bitter truths. With her work, she challenges the power of art and poetry to convey these bitter truths of the times. This poem is inspired by the terrific and inhuman conditions of refugees in the new Moria camp. There is a character in this poem, that is speaking about her/his feeling and actions, being there and being witness of all what is happening to people there. Also it is written to move the readers, to act and not only read or see the photos, but to also search for solutions for the current condition. Refugees in camps like Moria have been burning for years and I wrote this poem to connect readers with refugees in Moria and with the same conditions in other camps, and to have strong solidarity of people with them.
Illustration by Joana Maria Neves
The round part represents the world and what she sees all around her in the poem. Each flame is different from the next, but all of them are connected
In front of my eyes
In front of my eyes….
Everything is burning
Everyone is fleeing
Children are crying
I do not know what to do
In front of my eyes….
Tents collapse into ashes
Nothing remains sound
Smoke invades the eyes
Nothing exists but fire
In front of my eyes….
Babies are screaming,
Are they burning?
No one can help another
Each after his own survival
In front of my eyes….
Everyone is seeking water
Not a drop to be found
Some with bags or blankets
Cling their children in their embrace
In front of my eyes….
A baby clutches her doll
To keep it safe
She may play with it later
No one knows her world
In front of my eyes ….
A mother is sobbing
Screaming for her lost boy in Moria
No one reaches her, no one helps
No one asks her — how she feels
In front of my eyes….
I can stay no longer
I could be one of them, among them
If I would be a refugee, in prison
I got lucky, should I not hold their hands?
In front of the world’s eyes….
Open your eyes , these are real scenes
You, too, could be one of them
Don’t blame; stay, help!
You don’t know: what a “refugee” means