Longing

By Oluremi Abati

I long and wait

I long and wait

I long like the bride

Calmly waiting for the kiss

Of the anxious groom

I yearn like the lips

Of a crying baby

Calling for mama’s milk

Waiting for the moment

When sun

Will stop shining

On the few

In the space

Where many wait

I said I am waiting

Waiting to see

The walls of race

Falling

The pillars of hates

Crumbling

The voices of guns

Falling silence

My heart wait in devotion

To the galant arrival

Of a long

Lost Love

I yearn for the righteous hand

Of liberty

My soul is flooded

With the yearning

For a surge of peace

Not the peace

Of the grave yard

I long for you in me

In exchange for me

In your mirror

I am looking forward to a world

Where WE, will submerge I

And They

Become a forgotten word

Oluremi Abati, the author of this poem, is a member of Praxis’ group for men GIANTS, an innovative space for migrant men fighting against isolation and poor mental health. User-led, the group use creativity to explore and express feelings and opinions, and work together to challenge negative stereotypes on migrant men.

In line with the theme for Refugee Week 2020, in his work Oluremi Abati explores the theme of imagining what a better world should be like.