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Refugees-A poem by Brian Bilston


They have no need of our help

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So do not tell me

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These haggard faces could belong to you or me

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Should life have dealt a different hand
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We need to see them for who they really are
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chancers and scroungers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Layabouts and loungers
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
With bombs up their sleeves
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cut-throats and thieves
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
They are not
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Welcome here
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
We should make them
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Go back to where they came from
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
They cannot
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Share our food
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Share our homes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Share our countries
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Instead let us
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Build a wall to keep them out
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It is not okay to say
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
These are people just like us
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A place should only belong to those who are born there
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Do not be so stupid to think that
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The world can be looked at another way
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now read it from the bottom up
 
 
 
 
©All Rights Reserved

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