Lost in the vastness of strangers,

longing for land left behind.

Land that swallowed some,

land where red rivers flowed,

carrying dead dreams.

Eardrums bursting bombs,

as smoke absorbed the screams.

Years later,

I freeze –

There it is happening again…..

to someone else.

People wandering landless,

seeking refuge.

Braving seas, seeking safety.

unable to bury the dead,

fulfill rituals that prepare the living and the dead.

Who could have predicted,

that decades later,

loved ones would wait expectantly –

for the lost to return –

as if by magic.

Moving on is the only option –

for the long journey of unchartered, unknown and perilous life.

August 20, 2023