No one leaves home unless/home is the mouth of a shark.
-- The Speaker

Importance: These opening lines of the poem are significant because they establish the overarching concept of the poem. The first line emphasizes the fact that people inherently resist leaving their home countries, while the metaphor of the shark’s mouth highlights the dangers of staying. Thus, in a very economical use of language, Shire presents to the reader the internal conflict that is explored throughout the poem.

You only leave home/when home won’t let you stay.
-- The Speaker

Importance: These lines are important as an early example of the way in which Shire personifies the concept of home in the piece. The idea of home not merely being a passive presence in a person’s life, but an active entity that maintains some level of control over the individual, is crucial to understanding the struggles faced by refugees and asylum...