Boat People to the Shores, by Tom Mukasa

Boat People to The Shores

By my own volition,
did I land here,
escaping from,
what I had treasured,
but what,
I had to avoid,
and so in a boat,
a large canoe,
as our conveyance,
I sat,
hurdled,
the storms,
hurling,
hill-size waves,
buffeting,
swaying,
near capsizing,
but hope,
prevailed,
a pacifier,
our eyes,
looking out,
with fear,
praying,
packed,
like sardines,
we paid,
exorbitant sums,
to be here,
it took,
a village,
so many storms,
we had to,
travel,
under stealth,
cover,
of the night,
patrol boats,
hunting,
finally,
we landed,
some dead,
some sick,
abandoned,
by those,
we paid,
the saving grace,
we got,
to be called,
boat people,
immigration,
officials,
did a triage,
storms,
calmed,
in their place,
winds filled,
our sails,
and on,
we sailed,
in a navigable,
charted sea.

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