Extraordinary Outsider
by Meena Shamaly
Stealing glances
Behind thick rim glasses
At the next desk
He watches her as she types furiously
Her eyes on the job; on the story
But he knows
He knows he's the story
He's the story she's writing
The story she is wishing for
The human she will love
The outsider she will marvel at
And the man she will hold in her arms
Like his mother held a baby, years ago
A child crash-landed into her life
Kissing an apocalypse goodbye
Finding safety in his angels, in his love
In his new-found adopted family In his father figure from another bloodline
Escaping demons he didn't even know he'd have
And enmities forged before he'd have a chance to meet them
Demons demanding retribution for what they believe to be
The sins of his fathers
Demons demanding the status of gods among mortals
Envious of this man, heeded as a god
Among men
A god stealing glances
Behind thick rim glasses
At the next desk
She doesn't know he's not really from around here
After all, his stay isn't, strictly speaking, legal
But what other choice was he given?
What else could he have done?
If Superman had applied for asylum as a refugee
Citing exploding planet as his reason for leaving
Would this country's policies contain him?
Would they contain this man born in the turmoil of apocalypse and war
To two self-sacrificing parents And raised by a family
On human values and love
To serve nothing less than justice and good
As his main concern?
Would they see that?
Or would they simply reject him out of fear
Of what they didn't know?
Fear that he'll come here and steal all our children's jobs?
When all he wanted to do
Was make an honest living
While he kept the honest living?
How is this alien any different
To the Afghani man escaping a war zone?
The child from Sierra Leone escaping a torn home?
Or the Egyptian family escaping a failed revolution?
This alien stealing glances
Behind thick rim glasses
At the next desk
Looking for love like the rest of us
This is my faith in humanity
And I believe
That if your refugees had the strength
Of the Man of Steel
They would defend and save this very nation they call home
If you let them.