how do you call me illegal?

The Journey by Grmalem

By Grmalem Gonetse Kasa, Youth Ambassador

On World Poetry Day (21 March), Grmalem shares his poem How Do You Call Me Illegal? and tells us how he came to write it.

We were at a staff meeting and talking about the Rwanda plan when I had the idea for the poem. We were saying about the media coverage of the plan and refugees and asylum-seekers in general - in particular, the use of the word “illegal.”

“Illegal refugees.” “Illegal asylum-seekers.” “Illegal migrants.” “Illegal human beings.” What do these mean? How does someone go from being illegal to legal? I came to the conclusion that to be legal, I must make the decision on my own: I am legal because I chose my own freedom.

The poem was written really quickly (a few minutes!), but it was from what I had been seeing and hearing, and my heart felt I should speak up.

I see I know why you are calling me illegal

because I didn’t come on your official term.

You didn’t get paid on my case to decide

I don’t want to. I am my own self-freedom maker.

Did you say I am an asylum; I am?

I walk through the valley

I walk through the river

I walk through the deeper

I walk through the harder

I walk through the darkest

I am my own freedom maker.

I walk through the sun

I walk through the moon

I walk through the stars

I walk through the cold and hot weathers

I am my own freedom maker.

That is when the story starts, I call myself legal

I guess that is when I start having strengths.

Faintness, those are my idleness because I am not hopeless.

With all my hopes and strengths

I become my own freedom

Man and human again!

Because I know how my story began.

There’s no one of you or the law that can get in my way.

I make my own freedom as I have been clever with hopes and dreams, there are no laws I am against. I am my own freedom.

As a wise man said, unlike you, no mother would put her child on the ocean if the land were safer.

Have or haven’t I come through all challenges? 

I escape from deaths and disabilities

I escaped from wars and hunger crisis.

Humans were animals who were ready to eat me

traffickers who were ready to sell me

as you were tried to make me you Ugandan trader

I am my own freedom maker.

Children of God are not for sale.

I am my own freedom

I am stronger

I am harder

I am talented

I am human

I am clever

I am my own freedom maker.

I wake every morning tell myself I am beautiful

because life is wonderful to be lived.

I AM MY OWN FREEDOM.