leaning on the salted railing of the Volendam
June 1948
facing west with weary eyes that have seen it all
looking to start again in Canada
25 years old
refugee
six years of war
movement
upheaval
she will count on the kindness
of near strangers
in a far land
goes down
below deck to create another home
in small berth with
mother and sister
they have left her brother behind
and this is what her mother speaks about
hands wringing
eyes welling
how will three women make it
so far from the familiar
and they all begin to weep with
fear
sadness
relief
anticipation
hope
despair
not knowing the iron
in the spine of all three of them
will see them through
No comments:
Post a Comment