In Another Life

Our once beautiful homeland had become uninhabitable Too dangerous to walk the streets drive a car visit friends Many had already left Syria Risking their lives on the open water Giving all we had to the ruthless opportunists who trade in the currency of human misery We all spent what little money we had to reach anywhere a safe place a new life away from the bloodshed the bombing the murder Europe was meant to offer us hope Yet the borders closed one by one We gave up everything left all we had behind Living on hand outs with no shelter no money and now no hope I am here trapped in Calais Jungle I dont know where my wife is The police treat us like animals They beat us and spray us with teargas everyday We cannot move forward we cannot go back We have to get out of here I look into the eyes on this camp and I can see it The blank emptiness of desperation In another life I was a teacher Now Im a refugee My name is Adnan