MCC Harmony
An inside look at the people, programs, and projects that make our community so welcoming.
My brain is an immigrant
By Sereine Elbalkhi
July 18, 2021
When home won’t let you stay,
and you have to get away,
it’s something you thought you would never say!
I’m leaving…
And I don’t know how long I will be away.
I’ve traveled from ocean to ocean and from land to land.
The body was moving, but the brain didn’t understand.
I went from side to side, leaving everything behind,
not once, not twice, but thrice.
Uncertainty kept me company along the way,
with an extra bit of anxiety every day.
I hoped it was just a bad dream and I will wake up in no time,
but sadly, it was just another humanitarian crime.
No one would leave home unless home chased you.
However, it wasn’t the home that chased me;
…the bullets… they made us flee.
I was young and naïve,
But I never knew that I will end up living in grief.
My brain is an immigrant since I was still innocent.
And even though it’s been so long,
it still doesn’t know where to belong.
My brain is an immigrant, and my soul is lost.
I’m exhausted… searching for the meaning of home.
But luckily, over the years,
I’ve learned that home is where you feel safe,
Home is where your loved ones are near, and every little bad thing can disappear.
My brain is an immigrant,
and I say that in pride.
Even though sometimes,
I can be denied.
Sereine Elbalkhi was born in Syria and arrived in Canada in December 2016 as a Government Assisted Refugee.
She has volunteered with the MCC and worked for us under the Canada Summer Jobs program.