Part of the 2016 LOVE Poetry Festival.
Journey from Hell to Eden
by Colin Guest
From bombs and war I had left my home in search of a safe and better life
But little did I know that on the way I would meet the woman of my dreams
Since all jammed together on a rubber boat and seeing your frightened look
I knew I had to try to keep you safe from harm as we set off across the sea
With your long black windswept hair and eyes flashing like globes of light
It made me forget all about the dangerous crossing we were all then making
No longer did I think of death, but about a chance of our living in paradise
If we could but survive and reach the shore, I knew we would be together
The seas were rough, our journey fraught with danger throughout the night
At times I thought we would not survive the treacherous crossing and drown
But at last we reached the shore, where I held your hand and helped you off
On finding you were all alone with no friends or family to accompany you
I told you not to worry, I would protect and keep you safe from harms way
You nodded and understood I spoke the truth, then took my offered hand
Our journey then was hard to bear with hardship seeming endless everyday
We tramped for many long and weary miles with very little food and water
But no matter which country we passed through, no one wanted us to stay
From sunny days to nights spent huddled together with rain pouring down.
We comforted each other and prayed we would succeed in the end and live
Along with many other immigrants we trudged through fields deep in mud
You became so tired one day, you slipped from my grasp and fell to the ground
As I went to help you stand, the look of despair in your eyes made me feel sad
Once on your feet you cried, shaking in fright with legs aching from the strain
I held you close and told you not to cry, then supporting you, we carried on
After struggling on and coming to a small stream, we stopped to rest and drink
But although cold wet and hungry, we had no other choice but to keep on moving
At times, while passing through villages, a few people handed us food and drink
However, these times were few, with our continually hungry as we journeyed on
After countless long and seeming endless miles, we reached a friendly frontier
As we passed through, I kissed and held you tight, and thought about our future
We were lucky to find friends who managed to find us work and a place to live
Although at first our life was hard, together we did our best to make it a good one
Since then our love has grown ever stronger with smiles replacing looks of terror
Despite it hard to forget how difficult life once was, those days have now all gone
No more do we have to dodge bullets and bombs, for now we’re safe and sound
I bless the time we rode the boat together, for you have made my life complete
Now we are married and it safe to go outside, we feel ourselves living in paradise
Each time we walk along hand in hand, joy is in our hearts with love in our eyes
- * * * * *
Deadline: FREE POETRY Festival – Get your poem made into a MOVIE and seen by 1000s. Three options to submit:
http://www.wildsound.ca/poetrycontest.html
Watch Poetry performance readings:
Watch Poetry made into Movies: