This week I chose the poem, "The Boatman" by Carolyn Forché. Forché's poems often bring attention to many harsh realities. "The Boatman" focuses on the plight of refugees, drifting from camp to camp and being caught in the crossfire of larger-scale conflicts. The poem is told from the perspective of a refugee, not Forché. She did not experience these events, but she is a witness to them. She refers to these poems as "the poetry of witness." Even those who escape the direct conflict can still be met with a grim fate as a result of it. The poem discusses how so many of these people have nowhere to go. It speaks of the squalid and miserable conditions refugees travel in. The horror of the situation is exemplified in the line "we fetched a child, not ours, from the sea, drifting face-down in a life vest, its eyes taken by fish or the birds above us." Not only does this conjure a grotesque image, but the use of the word "it" to refer to the child demonstrates how dehumanizing the experience of refugees can be. They are guided and corralled in some haven until that area too is no longer safe, or is no longer willing to protect them. "Leave, yes. . . but go where? To the sea to be eaten, to the shores of Europe to be caged? To camp misery and camp remain here." They have no choice but to leave their home, but for many, there is no truly safe place to take refuge. I do not know what else to write. The works of Carolyn Forché bring light to events that are cruel and sad and sickening. I do not know what I can say, that she has not already said.
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It is hard to understand the circumstances of a Refugee unless you are one. I can't imagine having nowhere to go to live.
ReplyDeleteIt's always incredible to see artists, in any field of art, speak about these types of issues. It's often that we see news articles about "refugees this" and "refugees that", but so many people, myself included, couldn't possibly begin to understand how difficult and stressful it must be to be in the place of someone like that. Like you said, there's not much else to add :(
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very important topic that many of us do not understand or know about, and it is amazing how she wrote about it in a sensitive way that would bring awareness.
ReplyDeleteRefugees are a very important subject right now in politics. It is very interesting to see a poet's take on refugees. Being able to discuss these topics is very important.
ReplyDeleteEven your blog post about this affected me, and I went to read the poem you referenced and found it so moving. Thank you for sharing. The idea of what a refugee is going through, is suffering both at home and when they attempt to seek something better, is the kind of thing it's hard to fully understand unless you've experienced it.
ReplyDeleteBeing a refugee is definitely such a struggle, I feel like they are always caught between two sides and end up always getting the short end of the stick. I also couldn't imagine what it's like not to have a place to go back to or call home.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to imagine being a refugee as there isn't much known about them and their thought processes. This is good to see her bringing awareness to the matter.
ReplyDeleteThis is so sad, and it is clearly so hard for refugees all around the world to live. It's interesting that the poet isn't a refugee but rather a witness.
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