The Formula

A poem by Jess Semaan

Death by shrapnel

Cuts your limbs

Escape shrapnels

Come to America

Marry to stay

Pay to stay

Or fail to stay

Come to America

Die a million way

But die slow

Here is a formula

Leave a home

Because war

And never return

Because war

Die slow

Because war

In America

There is no war

But

There is

a bullet in your spine

poison in your water

chemicals in your food

In America

You will be asked to grow

Without water or sun

You will wither

And they will say

But we gave water and sun

It must be their bodies