I began this journey over
three years ago.
I felt like a sail boat
tossed on the sea towards a horizon of possibilities.
I was finally getting a
chance to make a human wrong….right.
Sometimes the road seems
long,
The journey endless;
As the case load increases;
Stories from different
clients coincide and collide,
So many questions,
Fewer answers,
It seems unfair that she has
to decide between food and medicine.
That her rent is high and her
wages low.
Resources few, the demand
great,
From seeking pro bono
attorneys,
To low cost medical clinics,
More and more tales of
inhumanity,
Anger burns within me like a
flame,
Sometimes, it leaves me
feeling numb.
From systems that seem so
powerful,
To laws that seem more unjust
than just,
While politicians indulge in
their own projects, and cut essential services
While safe havens often shut
their doors to those whose immigration status is a blur
I wonder if my voice has
abandoned me.
Am I really being helpful?
Am I really making a
difference?
I don’t want to be a band aid
Real change is what I want
For my clients, the system
and even me
So I keep going.
I see her resilience and she
passes a citizenship exam entirely on her own, despite speaking only a little
English.
I see her strength as she
takes on the sole responsibility of raising her three young children.
I even see her advocate for
others in similar struggles.
I see communities rise up in
partnership to meet their needs.
I discover and rediscover
that I still have my heart that listens and my voice that speaks.
I pray and I hope that I will
keep them through every journey.
The sail boat sets sail again.
This time safeguarded against
the wind and the waves,
Protected by memories and
successes that sustains me.
