.

Ten years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghans remain the largest single refugee group in the world. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the primary destination is Iran and Pakistan, where more than 3.5 million refugees reside. Too often, we are caught up in the logistical details of so many displaced people - food, hygiene, housing, stability and crime concerns. What is so often overlooked is the people themselves. Each refugee has a story: the loss of a familiar home, the adoption of a new home, the pursuit of dreams.

Ms. Katra Nejrabi was such a refugee, searching for a new home in the United States. She wrote this poem about her experience.


Where I am From

I am from mountains so high and sharp like the edge of a knife,
Skies so blue reflecting like an ocean,
Clouds floating in an endless sea.

I’m from sandstorms so thick, which whip around,
Forcing your eyes to close and ravish your skin.

I come from a country ravaged by decades of war,
Soviet tanks lay around in the streets,
The trees that can tell you a story of what they have seen,
By the branches they bare through the years.

I’m from a small family that overcame a storm of darkness and later saw light,
The light that showed the pathway to a country that has 50 stars on a flag,
A second group of refugees that came to a new land,
Seeking freedom and pursuing dreams.

I come from long days of school to lectures of my parents,
Because they had a rough day at work,
Traditional parents expecting to raise a doctor or lawyer,
Or nothing.

I am the eldest child, who is looked upon by a sister seeking my shadow,
As I leave my tracks for her to follow.

I’m from home cooked meals,
The aroma that gives me comfort and love,
And traditions that I have to follow.

I come from laughter and eyes that can tell a story just by looking,
And friends that are there just to escape from a hard day.

From tears and pain I put upon myself,
On the bumpy road to my success: “try your hardest” and “never give up”.

I am from the past and present,
And dreams and future,
History in the making,
In beautiful Afghanistan!

Katra (Khatera) Nejrabi is an Afghan-American scholar and entrepreneur.

About
Katra Nejrabi
:
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.

a global affairs media network

www.diplomaticourier.com

Global

Where I am From - An Afghan Refugee's Tale

BY

Katra Nejrabi

.

March 8, 2012

Ten years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghans remain the largest single refugee group in the world. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the primary destination is Iran and Pakistan, where more than 3.5 million refugees reside. Too often, we are caught up in the logistical details of so many displaced people - food, hygiene, housing, stability and crime concerns. What is so often overlooked is the people themselves. Each refugee has a story: the loss of a familiar home, the adoption of a new home, the pursuit of dreams.

Ms. Katra Nejrabi was such a refugee, searching for a new home in the United States. She wrote this poem about her experience.


Where I am From

I am from mountains so high and sharp like the edge of a knife,
Skies so blue reflecting like an ocean,
Clouds floating in an endless sea.

I’m from sandstorms so thick, which whip around,
Forcing your eyes to close and ravish your skin.

I come from a country ravaged by decades of war,
Soviet tanks lay around in the streets,
The trees that can tell you a story of what they have seen,
By the branches they bare through the years.

I’m from a small family that overcame a storm of darkness and later saw light,
The light that showed the pathway to a country that has 50 stars on a flag,
A second group of refugees that came to a new land,
Seeking freedom and pursuing dreams.

I come from long days of school to lectures of my parents,
Because they had a rough day at work,
Traditional parents expecting to raise a doctor or lawyer,
Or nothing.

I am the eldest child, who is looked upon by a sister seeking my shadow,
As I leave my tracks for her to follow.

I’m from home cooked meals,
The aroma that gives me comfort and love,
And traditions that I have to follow.

I come from laughter and eyes that can tell a story just by looking,
And friends that are there just to escape from a hard day.

From tears and pain I put upon myself,
On the bumpy road to my success: “try your hardest” and “never give up”.

I am from the past and present,
And dreams and future,
History in the making,
In beautiful Afghanistan!

Katra (Khatera) Nejrabi is an Afghan-American scholar and entrepreneur.

About
Katra Nejrabi
:
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.