Found Poetry

Found poetry is picking an article or book and highlighting the words that speak to you and your story.

I found inspiration from a New York Times article about Afghan women college students brought to this country to continue their college studies for the next two years. They have lost so much and dropped into a completely different culture. It reminded me of how I’ve been dropped into this world of grief where I don’t fit and feel lost.

Grief Refugee

How, she wondered, did I end up here
I’m struggling, like, how to survive
struggled to understand
Culture shock

not in our control
pinballing among exhaustion, despair
But I was scared to start all over again
somewhere we could all be safe

when I need her the most, I want to call her
Exile
everything has failed
lives had been upended

excluded
hard to catch up
difficult to focus
grainy photos

struggling to connect
different worlds
like a movie
it’s my real life

feeling shy and exposed
nothing is certain, and everything is doubtful