Greenlane Poetry

Harraga

Who are those who burn?

They burn the driftwood of the alien shore
plastic wrapping of their meagre goods makes
acrid smoke of cooking fires in camps
they burn the siphoned petrol in their lamps

They burn their papers at the border posts
even their hands that none can correlate
records of the dissidents who
do not share the edicts of the state

they burn to see their children clothed and fed
but die and leave them anguished and alone
in countries where humanity is dead
in shattered cities whence the parents fled

they burn with longing and are brave and dare
take sluggish skiffs top-heavy in the swell
the unkind sea embraces their children


others burn with anger where immigrants are housed
they burn hotels where refugees would stay
pray Christ please help them when
welcomed here by gallant Manvers Men

they burn the cross to show they love their God

they burn their paper that none can tell

they burn the living soil to suit the guns

they burn martyrs as in pyres of old

they burn the forests that the herds may wider roam

they burn the stubble in the autumn field

they burn for justice

they burn in hell the zealots often hope