i was three when the sky exploded a kaleidoscope of gray
and the clouds were angry
and the sun was coward. they couldn't
even place their ears on the drums of thunder below.
and so i. we left our place.

my family. father and mother and my older brother.
we rode on a small boat with other syrians.
they said our place would kill children
so we pushed ourselves between death
and life.

i set my first sail to the safe haven
they called kos. i thought we could touch its sand
and play again. but when they syrians
saw the big wave swelling towards the boat
i knew we couldn't make it. everything went black
as the sky.

my delicate body fought for oxygen. my hands
grappled and trembled
slicing the air but i couldn't grasp the rope. my father
tried to save me but he couldn't.

i saw mother and older brother swallowed
by the sea. they syrians said we would float.
but the life vests were fake.

i looked at the sky. it was mourning for me.
i wished i could see the sun once more.
i hoped you'd see it for me.