Weight of Wanderlust

©Dr. Jamuel Yaw Asare (Dreams Deferred, Destinations Denied) Passports once filled with hope and dreams, now gather dust and tears. The allure of distant lands and new horizons beckoned, But the harsh realities of a world not made for us awaited Visas denied, borders closed, and doors slammed shut. The fortunate few who made it out faced storms and rough seas, Only to find more barriers and bitter tastes Some were swallowed by the Mediterranean’s unforgiving waves, Their cries for help drowned out by the deafening silence of indifference Others were trapped in deserts of despair, Their footsteps lost in the endless dunes of desperation Those who reached the promised lands found themselves in chains of exploitation, Their labor and dignity sold for scraps of bread and fleeting promises Their skin, a constant reminder of the shackles of racism and the weight of oppression. Yet, the dreams persist, the longing remains For the call of adventure is strong, and the heart yearns to explore and discover But the world is not kind to our skin, And the journey is fraught with peril So we remain, stuck in limbo, Our passports gathering dust, our dreams deferred The world may be small, but for us, it is a vast and treacherous expanse, Full of dangers and regrets.