We’re grieving for you
and it’s not enough
Our tears spill as we type our name
our post code
tick the box
to say we’re British
We sign all the petitions,
the official ones, our friend’s ones
I’m number 131,678 on the independent’s one
and it only started this morning.
Our tears and our signatures
it’s all we’ve got
you can have it
please take them.
They’re not enough.
There’s a tescos filling crates
tents and air beds and toiletries
We’re all bagging jumpers
its going to get so cold
socks, thick socks
gloves too
Mums are organising car loads
and another bunch of hipsters
have filled their third van.
We give you our solidarity
and our dried packaged goods
Please take them. I know.
They’re not good enough.
We’ve got our streets and our neighbourhoods
and it would be enough.
We’d make you a coffee
and the kids would hide
under the table
and eat frubes
And you’d work close by
and wave at me in the garden
And you’d feel welcome
and safe
here
The ‘you’ would go, and the ‘we’ would leave
and it’d just be us
It would be enough.
We’re in bits
but we’ve nothing to give.
Our words and our names
and our supermarket crates
don’t make up for immigration policy
or border police
all we have for your lost
is not enough.
Please consider supporting the #savesyriaschildren campaign, you can text SYRIA to 70008 to give £5 to Save the Children. Thanks to Annie for the photo- if you’d like to join in do take your own photo or use one of Annie’s.
And for loads of ideas about how else to help please do check out Sacraparental.
I hope to see you at the march in London on Saturday 12th. It is my birthday and I can’t think of a way I’d rather spend it.
Typing through tears. Very much all of this.
Very touching, it’s utterly heartbreaking. xx
Nice words. I am running the Bath Half Marathon in March to raise money for Doctors of The World Calais appeal http://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/pages/calais-appeal
You can sponsor me here
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=supermumandotherdisguises
If they can do the journey that they have then I think I can run 13 poxy miles!
What’s wrong with France?
Come to the uk because it’s what?
Hmm? I think all safe countries should open their doors
yes yes and yes again. And I’m oddly reminded of the last verse of In the Bleak Midwinter “..but what I can I give him, give my heart”. We’re doing everything we can do to help and to persuade those we elected to step out of politics and step into humanity and all that is left for us to give is our heart: sympathy, welcome, acceptance, the things that show we recognise refugees as people fleeing terror not swarming pests.
You are so right – it is not enough. All safe countries should provide a haven for these people. We take so much for granted in this country that some people just cannot understand the desperate plight of these people. They don’t come to steal jobs and get free houses. They come for a life free of fear.
[…] There is a place for shedding true salty tears at all this tragedy. There is a place for lament. […]
Amazingly said!