Leith Open Space

Cold but welcoming, a refugee’s view of Scotland

June 18th, 2008

To celebrate National Refugee Week here is an extract from a poem by Sifiso from Zimbabwe, written during poetry workshops involving Scots, refugees and poets.

Scotland

Scotland here I come –
To my surprise you are different
From what I have heard.
Cold but welcoming
Drunkards, racists, unemployed, yes,
But just like any other country…Good people you have Scotland
Good places of interest you find them
Beaches, you have them
What else can I say
Warm heart you have Scotland
You take care of the homeless
You take care of the troubled ones
You are a refuge for the orphans
And the refugees
You choose no colour
You choose no tribe
Long live Scotland

This poem was written during poetry workshops involving Scots, refugees and poets Gerry Cambridge and Iyad Hayatleh through the Oxfam Asylum Positive Images Project in partnership with the Scottish Poetry Library.

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