Shelled buildings crumble
Haze of unrelenting heat
Razed city called home
Yellowing paint peels
Room hangs open to the world
Child’s bombed out bedroom
Blood bright as fresh wine
Leaches unheeded from hands
Digging through rubble
Crow caws misfortune
Warning things won’t be alright
I flee with nothing
They say I’m safe now
Early frost on strange window
Alien country
Pink headband and dress
Soft brown eyes lit with delight
Crumped, fading picture
Seen and done too much
Imbibe drink of forgetting
Dreams filled with debris
Image Description: A small green plant determinedly grows out of a crack in the mortar of the tan brick chimney of and old house. The structure around the dormer window next to the chimney is painted an off white. The paint is chipped and peeling.
This series of haikus are riddled with loss and sorrow. With the violence occurring in residential areas in the Gaza Strip, Ukraine and other parts of the world I wanted to bring attention to the experience of innocent victims of violence and the struggles refugees face. I know I can never fully understand or express what it is like to lose everything and everyone. I did my best to humanize the experience in a way others might be able to relate to using my limited knowledge gleaned from reading stories written by refugees and volunteering at a local transition house for refugees. I hope these haikus inspire others to become more informed about the challenges survivors of violent conflict face and lend aid in ways available to them.