You came here from a distant land—
you envied faces smeared with smiles—
you gaped at pockets stuffed with shells—
but did you mark our empty souls?
You envied us our dancing hands—
you aped our wild and worldly style—
you fell for our hypnotic spell—
but did you see our eyes are holes?
A stranger lone and lost you stand—
you sojourn with us for a while—
wake up! this showplace can be hell,
your place is at the other pole.
Dear exile in this land of fear,
turn back, your Zion is not here.
You left a land of wheat and vine.
This land’s not yours; it really isn’t even mine.
I have a friend from another country who feels lonely in America. I thought of him while reading Peter’s famous words addressed to “strangers and sojourners.” Which all of us are, native and immigrant.
Thanking you again and again for all you say and do, bless you 🙏