Born Again by John Short

A green and pleasant land

full of white people and churches

is what she wants to see

but that’s not how it will be,

the only thing that doesn’t change

is Change itself, the Taoists say

and for thousands of years

people have wandered the world

moved around, crossed continents.

We came later, built our shrines

to erase the previous gods;

now you complain when seeing a mosque

but wear jeans made cheap in Pakistan.

Your cosy picture is a fantasy,

a fixed idea you can’t let go.

Your tolerable life paid for elsewhere

so be quiet and think: though some

might not wish to integrate,

in reality we’re all connected.

---

John Short lives in Liverpool and studied comparative religion at Leeds University. His poems and stories are often inspired by his travels in Europe. In recent years he has been published in the UK, France, Spain and the USA, most recently in Prole, Dream Catcher, Frogmore Papers, Envoi and The Blue Nib. He's active on the local poetry scene and also enjoys cycling and real ale.

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