“The distant island”

The distant island, from “The dreaming boys”, 1917

No East ever contained you,
No West will ever fathom you,
Irreverent existence

Disoriented. Discounted. Displaced. Discontented.

History is a blurry land,
Where they only claim victory
Whose defeats had we inherited then!

Tongue is motherless
Torn between languages,
None would adopt it

Silence is your ethnic food
Apathy is your religion,
or So do you wish, you poor caring thing

Collectives bring more fright than safety
Their laughter pushes you further
Though their crises always held you faster

Your feathers are just too fair
To be one among the bright ones
No wonder you grow smaller