refugee
View:
A note from Conner
World Refugee Day and the Stone Soup Refugee Project
June 20 is World Refugee Day, a day of observance to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and to demonstrate a commitment that the world’s forcibly displaced people are not left behind.
Artist's description of the piece (translated from Arabic): There is something hiding behind the painting. There is a ghost behind it. It is the ghost of someone. (Who?) (No answer to that.) It is not me (says the artist); it is another girl who is afraid. The ghost frightens people, but it does not hurt them. (What does the girl in the picture say?
Artist description of the piece (translated from Arabic): The colors are nice. Behind the picture, there is a ghost. It is the ghost of a killer.
This artwork was published in the June 2021 issue of Stone Soup Magazine
~Sylvia
If the sky is blue, then fly with me!
If the sun is bright, then fly with me!
If the sea is rough, then fly with!
If you have wings, then fly with me!
If the wind blows through your wings, then fly with me!
Come here and fly with me!
~Parwana
The sky is dark, please help me!
The sun is sad, please help me!
The sea is stormy, please help me!
All names in this story have been changed for privacy.
A few years ago my mom and dad, my two older brothers, and I moved from a refugee camp in Tanzania to Chicago. Now I’m eleven years old. My name is Happiness.
One Sunday night I sat down on my usual pillow on the couch between Mama’s legs so she could fix my hair.
It needs courage to build a school!
It needs courage to touch children’s hearts!
It needs courage to welcome homelessness!
It needs courage to stand with us in one line!
It needs courage to open an educational house!
It needs courage to give hope for hopelessness!
It needs courage to give pens to those that have never touched a pen before!