We only have a very little island
There’s room for me and possibly for you
With all these swarms of people
trying everything they can
to pull themselves aboard –
What can we do?
Well, we need to make some very tough decisions;
To only let the ones we want get through.
We need to have a test
to see who suits us best
And this is what I think that we should do.
Let’s line all refugees up on the border
Of somewhere hot and troubled
where bombs are bursting daily
… almost anywhere in Syria will do.
Then we give them all no money,
No help and no instructions
We load them up with children,
with hot and crying children,
with sick and injured children..
almost any child will do.
We add an aged grandma,
with sore and swollen knees,
clutching her tiny bundle
of all that she holds dear
of all that’s left
of what she left behind..
A photograph
will do.
And then we blow a whistle,
and let them race for Dover,
across the wars and deserts..
across the seas and mountains..
through all the camps and fences
through razor wire and whistles..
through loss and death and terror
And any with the gumption,
the strength and hope and courage,
the sheer determination..
to make it through..
I think they’ll do.
