by Lee Eustace
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| Almost 12 hours after two vessels sank in the Aegean sea, rescue workers hampered by inclement weather were in a race against the clock on Thursday to find survivors as authorities reported that at least 16 women and a boy had died when an overloaded boat capsized east of the island of Lesbos…. In a separate incident hundreds of miles west, at least five people were thought to have died overnight when another boat ran aground off Kythira, to the south of the Peloponnese…. Last month the Greek migration ministry said it had prevented about 150,000 people illegally entering the country so far this year, though rights groups say many have been prevented through a policy of pushbacks, in contravention of international law.—The Guardian, 6 October 2022. Photo: A local resident stands on a cliff as bodies of migrants are seen next floating debris after a sailboat carrying migrants smashed into rocks and sank off the island of Kythera, southern Greece, Thursday, October 6, 2022. AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis via The Greek Herald, 7 October 2022 |
Boats. Boats, approaching the shore.
Turn them around, we’ve room for no more.
Men, women, and children on board.
We’re sorry it’s something we cannot afford.
But where can they go and what will they do?
Well, that’s not a problem for me and you.
Out on the boat their voices can be heard
Please let us enter—the children are scared.
The waves are strong and the water is cold
Please open your hearts and your household.
Precious little food and water in supply
We won’t have enough if you let us pass by.
The sun starts to set and the boats turn around
We’ve come in search of help. But no help have we found.
Out on the horizon the waves begin to rage
Soon you will find us splashed on the front page
of newspapers which read, “Migrants Lost At Sea.”
Well, it’s not a problem for you. It’s a problem for us.
Lee Eustace (he/him) is a writer and poet whose work centres on the themes of relationships, social constructs, and culture. Lee is previously self-published in the creative nonfiction space and is now in the advanced stages of producing a debut novel, a collection of poetry, and a standalone collection of short stories. His works have found a home at Apricot Press, Free_The_Verse, Dipity Literary Magazine, Eunoia Review, and the London Wildlife Trust. Follow his Instagram @creativeleestorytelling for updates on his progress.