POEMS FROM A MIGRANT’S DIARY – Ma Chère Italie

This poem is written in French and in English. It is dedicated to the five asylum seekers who lost their lives last week after Italian coastguards are reported to have deliberately rammed into their boat, causing it to split into half. The asylum-seekers were crossing from Tunisia to Egypt. According to one of the survivors, the boat was carrying 120 passengers; 85 people were saved, five died and 30 are still missing. In recent weeks, more than 5,000 asylum seekers from Tunisia have made their way to Italy. Many have lost their lives along the way. This influx of asylum seekers comes against the backdrop of growing civil unrest in Tunisia.

Ma Chère Italie
by Mary-Sanyu Osire

Ma Chère Italie,

Je n’aime pas nager,
Mais je vais nager.

Et je vais marcher;
Et je vais courir;
Et je vais ramper.

Jusqu'à chez toi!

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My Dear Italy
by Mary-Sanyu Osire

My Dear Italy,

I do not like to swim,
But I am going to swim.

And I am going to walk;
And I am going to run;
And I am going to crawl.

Until I get to you!

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(The author is a humanitarian analyst and she writes on migration. Email her on: msanyu@yahoo.com)