Lord have mercy on the refugees! – we
put to the test not your providence, how
you are there, in each circumstance, in each
person, man, woman or child, not abandoned
as would appear in worldly estimate
to be, as would affect feelings to protest
against, your presence holds against the odds
to steel the spirit of the beheld suffering
till more to be pitied we the beholders -
us, our worldly values torturing more
our minds and hearts, Lord have mercy on us! –
to bring the refugees the solace we
ourselves proportion! In truth, they are miles
ahead; theirs is a world of consolation
we cannot imagine, dare to admit,
or providence void, its children adrift.
