Poem: 'Colonialism' by Michael Naughton
- empowerinnocent
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Colonialism
Pity the colonial soul
Born in a foreign land
Both sides ostracise him
They will never understand
He will always love his parents
They did what they thought best
But when they moved to England
They made an entirely different nest
It is neither one place nor the other
But somewhere in between
He has been created as a hybrid
Who may never be heard nor seen
They speak a different language
Different music, different food
They practice a different religion
They are routinely misconstrued
He is mocked and made fun of
Even the teachers criticise
He is suspected of being a terrorist
No hiding Irish eyes
They take him ‘home’ for holidays
He craves to be accepted
But like an unwanted refugee
He is resolutely rejected
No matter how hard he tries
He will never quite fit in
The same but also different
Like some new original sin
Pity the colonial heart
His parents tore him into two
They thought they did their best for him
Dear God, if they only knew
Michael Naughton
4 November 2025
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