—©Lozan Yamolky
Book: Counting Waves 2017 by Silver Bow Publishing

They tell you to go to higher ground
when an imminent flood or tsunami is on the horizon.

They evacuate you when a wildfire spreads;
or a nuclear reactor near you is about to melt down.

They keep you posted and give you shelter or help you find safety
when a deadly hurricane is in the forecast.

They desperately search for you and dig you out of the rubble
of a collapsed building and cheer when they find you alive.

They send firefighting crews who risk their lives to pull you
out of a burning building.
They use the latest scientific research;
utilize the latest technologies and new medicine
to keep you alive at all costs when you suffer
from a terminal disease or acute trauma.

They warn you about sex offenders
being released in your area:
they shoot dangerous wildlife near your home
to protect your life and ensure the lives of your children
are not in harm’s way.

Yet, once your survival skills are put to the ultimate test,
and you finally run from danger –war;
once you further yourself and your family
from endless wars and a hopeless future,
it seems your life is of no value to politicians, to haters
and most times, this world.

When you run from men who mercilessly assault you
in ways humanity has never seen,
and you ask for protection and justice
they say ‘your problem is not ours to solve.’

You become one of thousands upon thousands
of refugees at the mercy of some
who, quite frankly, do not like you disturbing the routine
and their normal life.

Once you escape the torture of being a war trophy;
once you make it alive to a strange and foreign land seeking refuge,
your future is uncertain;
you become nothing but a case number in a file
in a court document awaiting others to decide your fate.

To those who do not even understand
the meaning of the word refugees,
your life is not worth saving.

Luckily, those who hate are outnumbered.
Luckily, there are more of us who have empathy
and want to live in peace and harmony with all.

Luckily, there are more of us
who know we are all connected;
no matter what government issue papers state,
we are connected, we are one
and each life is..
a life worth saving!

—©Lozan Yamolky
Book: Counting Waves 2017 by Silver Bow Publishing
Disclaimer: Photo taken by my father in Ankara outside the UNHCR in spring 1993. I was tearfully saying goodbye to my nephew who was on the bus going to Istanbul then flying to Canada.