Saturday 29 September 2012

Pride

Heavy accent
Proud and strong
Sunken eyes pulled from behind by sadness
Aching heart,
Resignation

Grandparents and parents torn from their home
Beaten
Broken
Burnt
Survivors of horrors beyond our imagination

Now in a foreign land
Poor
Belittled
Resented
But proud, strong, alive

Intelligent, knowing
Kind and true
Observing the indigenous with raised eyebrows
Weighty sigh

This oozing integrity touches my soul
A connection is made
I will not forget
Respect

12 comments:

  1. good to not forget respect...i had a colleague at work from columbia and she once told me during lunchbreak that people think she's less intelligent because she can't speak our language so well..

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  2. Terrible. What have we had to overcome to be where we are?

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  3. it can be very interesting to be in a different culture....your use of indigenous made me think that...its hard too seeing things that would make us uncomfortable and managing our response to it as well....best not to forget....

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  4. "Oozing Integrity" --> very fine! Respect!

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  5. You illustrate so well why we need to reach out and communicate despite our differences.

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  6. Yes:- communication, connecting as humans, not making assumptions....these things and love could make the world turn :-)

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  7. I wrote this about a patient. Driven here by economics. Intelligent and proud, earning a meagre living because of being 'foreign'. Overlooked. His integrity humbled me, we talked at length. I don't think I will ever forget him. A privilege to have met him.

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  8. I'm glad you had such a great source for your people-watching piece--sometimes we learn so much from someone simply met. I think the line "Observing the indigenous with raised eyebrows" was the one that sold me--it speaks volumes. Thanks for sharing!

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