<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="widows: 1;" class=""><font color="#222222" class="">Care </font></div><div style="widows: 1;" class=""><font color="#222222" class=""><br class=""></font></div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="t4" style="width: 1665px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); widows: 1;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="td1"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="t5" style="width: 612px;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="td4"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="t6" style="width: 564px;"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td valign="top" class="td5"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">My 16-month old daughter wakes from her nap</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">and cries. I pick her up, press her against my chest</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">and rub her back until my palm warms</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">like an old family quilt. “Daddy’s here, daddy’s here,”</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">I whisper. Here is the island of Oʻahu, 8,500 miles</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">from Syria. But what if Pacific trade winds suddenly</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">became helicopters? Flames, nails, and shrapnel</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">indiscriminately barreling towards us? What if shadows</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">cast against our windows aren’t plumeria</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">tree branches, but soldiers and terrorists marching</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">in heat? Would we reach the desperate boats of</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">the Mediterranean in time? If we did, could I straighten</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">my legs into a mast, balanced against the pull and drift</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">of the current? “Daddy’s here, daddy’s here,” I</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">whisper. But am I strong enough to carry her across</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">the razor wires of sovereign borders and ethnic</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">hatred? Am I strong enough to plead: “please, help</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">us, please, just let us pass, please, we aren’t</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">suicide bombs.” Am I strong enough to keep walking</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">even after my feet crack like Halaby pepper fields after</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">five years of drought, after this drought of humanity.</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">Trains and buses rock back and forth to detention centers.</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">Yet what if we didn’t make landfall? What if here</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">capsized? Could you inflate your body into a buoy</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">to hold your child above rising waters? “Daddy’s</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">here, daddy’s here,” I whisper. Drowning is</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">the last lullaby of the sea. I lay my daughter</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">onto bed, her breath finally as calm as low tide.</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">To all the parents who brave the crossing: you and your</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">children matter. I hope your love will teach the nations</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">that emit the most carbon and violence that they should,</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">instead, remit the most compassion. I hope, soon,</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">the only difference between a legal refugee and</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">an illegal migrant will be how willing</font></span></div><p class="p4" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""> </font></span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">we are to open our homes, offer refuge, and</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class="">carry each other towards the horizon of care.</font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""><br class=""></font></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" class=""><span class="s1"><font size="4" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Craig Carlos Perez</font></span></div><div class=""><font size="4" class=""><br class=""></font></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></body></html>