We come into this world

As frightened human beings,

Fresh from the spirit land

We have left behind us.

We come kicking and screaming,

Knowing we leave behind

Softness, love, peacefulness,

And the sweet songs of angels,

Encouraging us to move forward

Towards our destiny on earth.

Loud sounds fall on our ears

As we keep our eyes shut from

Lights that pierce us with their

Brightness. Our hearts beat

Irregularly from the fear inside us.

The air is cold and disagreeable to skin

That has only known warm moisture

In the womb of our mother’s body.

Cruel hands tug on our legs and arms.

We shiver and we cry with real tears

When we realize our place of safety is gone.

We come to accept that we must adjust

To a world we know nothing about, and

Rely on strangers for protection and safety.

This is a lesson we learn from the moment

We are born: to rely on others and to trust them

When we cannot take care of ourselves.

We do so with much fear and trembling,

For we know, even from birth, we must

Reach out and trust others with our lives.

This is not an easy thing, when trying to survive.

Yu/stan/kema