Thursday, June 22, 2006

Poetry Thursday

This week's Poetry Thursday option was to write a poem “based around words we love or hate or both.”

Immigrant Expat Traveller … Me

Immigrant:a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign county.
A word that I hate for all that it doesn’t say.
For what it implies.
Human as a series of papers and fees.

Expat: a person who lives outside their native country.
A word I prefer for its lack of commitment.
Almost a traveller.
But expat’s okay.

Traveller: a person who is travelling or who often travels.
A word that I love for all of its promise.
The flip side of immigrant.
But beware.

Travel too far , fall in love and arrive
... another immigrant.

10 comments:

Kay Cooke said...

And yet ... 'Immigrant Song' by Led Zeppelin is one of my most fav songs! Great poem!
You have been busy posting today I see! Wow - well done. I enjoyed reading it all - so many experiences and some thought-provoking stuff indeed. Amazing stuff! You're a magazine!

meghan said...

OH I HEAR YOU!!!

As a fellow traveller/ expat/ immigrant I can relate!!!

Di Mackey said...

Hi chiefbiscuit, I don't know that song ... I must hunt it down, I only know it's not a lot of fun being one, I'd rather be either of the other two :)

Lol, me as a magazine left me smiling all morning, thanks. This is a kind of rest time before friends from the States arrive and stay for a couple of weeks ... then I'll have posts about wandering again.

paris parfait said...

That says so much in so few words - as an expat and traveler for many years, I can strongly identify with your poem. And I see the results of immigration all around me - the latest being that French families are hiding immigrants' children in their homes, to avoid being deported. For every country, I could tell a thousand stories, as could you. I wouldn't trade the education from traveling, living in other countries and hearing others' stories for anything.

paris parfait said...

That says so much in so few words - as an expat and traveler for many years, I can strongly identify with your poem. And I see the results of immigration all around me - the latest being that French families are hiding immigrants' children in their homes, to avoid being deported. For every country, I could tell a thousand stories, as could you. I wouldn't trade the education from traveling, living in other countries and hearing others' stories for anything.

Di Mackey said...

Ahh megg, everything is an adventure but immigrating is one of the most challenging I've experienced so far.

Hi Paris Parfait ... you know, all the nonsense and paperwork and the waiting to be allowed 'in' drives me crazy sometimes but it's experience and you're right, I can't regret that.

Erin said...

Bravo!! Bravo!

Simple, elegant, and oh so true.
I, too, hear you...

Hey did you go leave a comment on poetry thursday so everyone will surf be and read this? go now, go go go..off with you...to post your PT comment

Erin said...

Meant to add, I am so loving these people photos...

Lotus Reads said...

Beautifully expressed ( I will have to write your poem down, if you don't mind) and like most of your readers I, too, am all three and probably in equal parts, too! (just wish I could be more of a traveller though)

Di Mackey said...

Hey w-w, thanks and glad you like the people shots. I'm trying 'stuff'.

Of course you can note the poem lotus, I do it too sometimes. I guess our stated goal just has to be to travel more :)