Myth, History & Cultural MemoryPoetry

Searing Sorrows: The Torch of Lampedusa

By 21 April 2015August 5th, 2026No Comments1 min read
Turbulent, dark sea under a stormy sky. Many people drown, one raises a flickering torch. Desperate hope.

The Torch of Lampedusa

A poetic lament reflecting on the tragedy of migrants lost at sea, exploring displacement, suffering and the human cost of seeking a better life.


The 900 who heard them?
Apparently they lay screaming.
As I read this online story,
Of last gasp waving & drowning.

Poor migrants, lured to a better life,
Now they’re dead.
It must have been too hot for them
In Syria, Gambia etc they said.

Oh no, the summers are too hot always,
& now the stranded ones lay screaming.
As I read this online story
Of last gasp waving & drowning.


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Related source:

Lampedusa: 900 feared dead

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