The Journey of an Exiled Mother 3/3
This poetic narration presents the physical, social, emotional, and geographical realities of a young Cameroonian mother in exile. Exiled in Switzerland, she faces a series of daily challenges that transform simple adaptation difficulties into complex trials. Her journey is a delicate blend of her moods and inner struggles, during which the narrator shares her deep reflections on exile and the loss of identity. These poems become the mirror of her most intimate thoughts, offering readers privileged access to her emotions and personal questions. Initially written in English, these three texts have also been translated into French. Here we present the third and last poem.
The world is falling apart
I left my family, my friends, my home,
To a place where they call me refugee.
Yes, I am a refugee,
But never chose this path.
In this strange land,
I am just a name, a label refugee.
I left my children, my loved ones,
In a desert, waiting for the dawn that may never come.
I want to give up,
For I know no one here,
And everyone seeks to use me, the refugee.
“I will help you if…”
These are the words I hear from those who call me refugee.
Living in a world that’s falling apart,
Yes, I feel the weight of giving up.
My mind battles with my soul,
Should I surrender or fight?
Why call me refugee,
When I never chose to be one,
In a land built by refugees?
You don’t know my story,
Yet you tear the world apart for me.
The world falls apart for me,
And no one seems to understand.
I cannot speak,
For no one listens.
We don’t understand each other,
Though we share this earth,
Each from a different place, a different race,
Bound by language and borders that divide.
Why do I keep living,
When the world seems to fall against me?
Yet, I have made my choice,
To face the world,
And fight the battle,
For I am still here,
And I will not give up.
Kebei Raimatou
Member of the Vaud editorial team of Voix d’Exils
To discover the previous parts of the narration:
