{"id":42,"date":"2021-12-29T13:22:59","date_gmt":"2021-12-29T13:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/?p=42"},"modified":"2022-01-05T20:32:35","modified_gmt":"2022-01-05T20:32:35","slug":"siasl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/2021\/12\/29\/siasl\/","title":{"rendered":"siasl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The following poem and story are two of the contributions to \u201cStranger(s) In A Strange Land\u201d, an anthology of flash fiction, poetry, and graphic art which will be published in digital format when La Gr@not@ is relaunched.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALL sales of the anthology will go to 3 projects which work with refugees.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you would like to submit something to this project, please read https:\/\/la-granota.com\/stranger.htm<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Submissions can be made (in English, Catalan, Spanish, or German*) to the e-mail address given there or (if you prefer) posted in the comments section below.<\/em> (Graphic art should be sent as JPG attachments to the e-mail address on that web-page. Links to ORIGINAL-work videos can also be sent.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another project serving the same good cause can be found at https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/2021\/12\/09\/the-habit\/<\/a> It’s LOTS of fun! (Everybody taking part so far is having a great time!) No previous writing experience necessary. (That goes for this one, too.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This project can be followed on Twitter<\/a>: @SiaslStranger<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* The first – paper – edition was trilingual: Catalan\/English\/Spanish. The digital editions will be: 1st in English;; then in Catalan and Spanish; with a trilingual edition to follow. We can handle the translating. But if you would PREFER to translate your own work, that would be even better.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Of The Lucky Ones<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(The Treasure)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stand here on a new shore,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My knees trembling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Not because I am scared<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 Although, I assure you, I am \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But because I have been on that hell-boat,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crouching, crowded, cramped,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For eleven days.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am one of the lucky ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I waded ashore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The soldiers are unloading the unlucky,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of whom won\u2019t make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(There were others who didn\u2019t make it<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even this far.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am one of the lucky ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t need to sell my body<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To smirking guards at the borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My husband paid for the bribes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And my sea passage\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though unknowingly. (In short,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I robbed him of what I needed.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am one of the lucky ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I speak English and we had satellite;<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I know that we aren\u2019t <\/strong><\/em>on<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shores of Paradise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I won\u2019t be crushed by discovering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That all my problems aren\u2019t over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know that it\u2019s going to be difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doesn\u2019t that make me one of the lucky ones?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am one of the lucky ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I carry in this one bundle<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The greatest of treasures,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most valuable contraband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Red Cross worker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Noting my trembling legs)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Offered to take it from me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I will not relinquish my burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(At least not yet.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My parents believe themselves cultured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(I was spared the genital mutilation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Endemic in my country.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they sold me to a man more powerful<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Than even my father: the chief<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of a village; the owner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of one thousand goats, two wives,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the only satellite dish within four days\u2019 walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A powerful man but a boor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technologically ahead of the neighbouring chiefs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But backward in every way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I endured him for three long years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though I was intact,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He could not give me pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But he did give me my treasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And to spare her the knife, I ran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am NOT going back \u2013 and neither is she.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If they deny us asylum (such things happen),<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will kill myself. And she<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will be put into care (father unknown).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until that time,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am her mother, she is my treasure\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I give her up to nobody.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is one of the lucky ones:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this new land, I know, there are those<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who will hate her for her dark skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For her beauty, she will be jeered at and spat upon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she will be intact: she will be whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She will not be sold as the third wife to a despot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not a lot, I admit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026 But it\u2019s a start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ Jimmy Hollis i Dickson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What if\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The border guard was bored. Yet another family of refugees asking for asylum. He looked over the application form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrankly, you don\u2019t fulfil the conditions to qualify for asylum. No political persecution. And this business about your child\u2019s life being threatened. Obviously paranoia. It\u2019s a pity you\u2019re not a stonemason. There\u2019s a shortage of stonemasons and we might have been able to bend the rules. Or you could have applied for entry simply on an immigrant basis. But carpenters\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked at the young wife. Despite being a mother, there was an air of innocence about her. He could go for some of that. Worth bending a rule or two for\u2026 HA! And if HIS wife found out, she\u2019d have his balls! Not worth the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stamped the application form: \u201cAdmission denied\u201d, and waved them back over the border, where their own country\u2019s soldiers were waiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joseph and Mary watched horrified and helpless as little Jesus had his head chopped off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~ Wilhelmina Lyre<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following poem and story are two of the contributions to \u201cStranger(s) In A Strange Land\u201d, an anthology of flash fiction, poetry, and graphic art which will be published in digital format when La Gr@not@ is relaunched. ALL sales of the anthology will go to 3 projects which work with refugees. If you would like… Continue reading siasl<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105,"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42\/revisions\/105"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/la-granota.com\/blogs\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}