AUGUST 2007

 
The roadmap to hope
by Daniel Saykaly©

If you give us all we ask,
The sea, the lake, the land,
The fertile fields, the hilltops,
The orchards and the sand,

The roadways and the aquifers,
The river's valley too,
- For we need all of them, you see,
And what are they to you?

But if you give us everything,
And if you will submit,
And if you do not struggle
When we take all of it;

And if we need not see you here
And if you are not there,
And if there are no bombings
And if we need not care;

And if we choose to bully you
And beat you when we must,
And if your children watch
While you are ground into the dust;

And if we bulldoze all your homes
So that, at last, you learn
There’s nothing – nothing! - here for you
But grief at every turn;

And if you can accept the fact
That children may be shot
And someone may be punished, yes!
... But more than likely, not;

And if you let us round you up
To drive you from this land,
And if you keep "a balanced view"
And strive to understand;

And if we've said ‘one suitcase each
That’s very, very small’
And if we judge that yours is large
And you leave with none at all;

And if you're forced to wait for hours
As quiet as can be
And show the attitude of slaves
And bear your misery;

And if when you are loaded
Onto trucks you do not shout
For, after all, we've orders

That we must carry out;

And if throughout the voyage

That is thirsty, desperate, sad,

The heat and grief don't kill you

And do not drive you mad,

Then, at your destination,
Upon the gates you’ll see
The hope that will sustain you:
It says "Work – makes - free"

Daniel Saykaly lives in Montreal, poem received from

shamireaders@yahoo.com