Freedom is Not Free

This poem is dedicated to the memory of Brodny Bashadov, for whom freedom was not free.

he left his home with his mother
because the bombs were falling
through the ceiling
and his father was
tying them down
and Russian soldiers
were tying them down
and they ran across the Chechen
border to a refugee camp
because they were refugees.
and then i hear you
trash-talking immigrants
and refugees,
like you think that for them
freedom is free.

freedom is not free.
freedom is not free.

freedom is bought and paid for
with blood and war
and bigots and racists
take cash, cheque or credit
but if you can’t offer blood and gore
then forget it.

he left his home with his mother
because the bombs were falling
through the ceiling
and the bullets were forcing
them down
and the hopelessness was keeping
them down.
and they came to Canada
because they didn’t want to be
just two more bodies lying
in the street
and now you’re telling me
that for refugees,
freedom is free.

freedom is not free.
freedom is not free.

freedom is paid for with
blood and war,
people selling themselves and selling their lives
for a locking door
and the landlords and warlords
take cash, cheque or credit
but if you’re a refugee,
then you can just forget it.