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How does it end?

Immigrant rights march for amnesty in downtown Los Angeles, California on May Day, 2006

Immigrant rights march for amnesty in downtown Los Angeles, California on May Day, 2006. By Jonathan McIntosh - Own work, CC BY 2.5, Link

From Guatemala, from El Salvador,
Honduras they travel overland
with little, with nothing but hope
out of terror, from rape and murder

with daughters and sons. babies
they hope they’re carrying to safety.
They believe the old promises.
Here you will be safe, here there’s

work no white American wants.
You’ll save to save family members.
This will be a home forever.
Here you will not cower in fear.

They cross and are treated
worse than thieves, shoved
into overcrowded camps, into
cages like dogs no one wants.

Here the children they fled so far
to save are ripped from them
penned like sheep, alone in crowds
crying, confused, terrified again.

Oh, Emma Lazarus, could you see,
would you recognize this country?
France, you must take back that lady
with her now extinguished torch.

Marge Piercy is the author of many books of poetry, most recently Made in Detroit.

2018, Volume 70, Issue 05 (October 2018)
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