refugee train
small hands starfished
against the glass
Commentary by Susan Antolin:
The verb "starfished" is brilliant in this poem. It feels essential that the verb is in the passive rather than active form. The word "starfished" accurately describes the shape of children's hands spread wide against a window and also evokes the sense that both starfish and refugee children are at the mercy of forces larger than themselves. The refugee children are themselves like starfish, carried by the ocean and deposited on the shore. Here they are on a train, looking out at the world they have been thrown into. The reader cannot but hope these small hands will be carried to safety.
Commentary by Kala Ramesh:
We went through the first, second and third selection lists and in each list, this poem scored full marks. In our final Zoom meeting, this poem surfaced to the first position. I echo Susan's sentiments, which she has voiced extremely well.
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