My Lasting Minutes

Far from my homeland's clay so dear,
An outsider in a world that's unclear.
Friends and family, shadows in the past,
In this strange place, my lot is cast.

The nights are long, the days so strange,
I bear the weight of those I can't exchange.
The exile's path is lonely and cold,
Seeking a home in a world so old.

My heart yearns for fields of gold,
For fireplace tales that we once told.
But here in a new land's embrace,
I plant my roots, with a heavy grace.

Each day a struggle, a fight to live,
Among unknown faces, I seek my own to give.
Passing glances, no greetings or smiles,
In search of a place, through endless miles.

I think of my ancestors ancient bravery,
Four hundred years of history, now unsavory.
But now, in a land so far and wide,
I build a new future, with hope as my guide.

My children, my wife, the reason I fled,
For their safety, I left the past unsaid.
Each night I pray, with tears in my eye,
That this sacrifice was worth it, that I chose right, aye.

Letters from home grow fewer each day,
Family and friends' love fades away.
Some call me a traitor, a man without honour,
But I bear the pain for my loved ones, ever stronger.

Like Israelites in Egypt's captivity,
Trapped in a land where I find no tranquility.
I work and strive, with hope in my heart,
That one day we'll find a new life, a fresh start.

Every day a prayer, every night a dream,
That my children will find their way, within this foreign scene.
That their faith will remain, strong as a rock,
In a world that changes, like a stream’s gentle knock.

So I remain an exile, with a hopeful soul,
Seeking peace in a land that takes its toll.
May God forgive the choices I've made,
For the love of my family, and the future I've laid.