Domine, exaudi vocem meam
for I am begging you
to help me find a way
out of these unnatural places,
where so many races
co-exist with one another,
yet none treat the other
as sister or brother.
I am choking on the dust
of concrete, tar and steel,
and must walk far before I feel
that I can breathe again,
where the rain comes without dirt
and where my shirt does not need
changing halfway through the day.
I do not wish to stay here any longer.
Yet, I know that I must, for here
is where the jobs are. Here is where
the money is to send back home
to support those lucky enough to stay,
and lucky enough to see the end of the day
with stars in the sky and crops growing high.
De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine.
Domine, exaudi vocem meam.
Fraser
August 2023