The Difference Between Us

Read Brian Sankarsingh's latest poem the times we live in in 2025

Photo by Adrien Delforge on Unsplash

As we follow our neighbours down the destructive trade war rabbit hole, we must remember our own DNA. As an immigrant, I had the choice of going to Canada or the USA. I chose Canada because I knew more about the country - we studied it in our geography class. Even though I had family in the US, and none in Canada, I chose Canada. When I came here and was despondent and alone, I had the option to go to the US and refused. It was only after some time that I realized one of the most significant differences in perspectives between the two countries. That epiphany served to drive home the fact that I had made the right decision. At that time, the US referred to all immigrants as Alien in their official documentation. Canada, referred to immigrants as…immigrants.

If you’ve been reading my work for even a brief time, you know that I believe in the power of words. The words we choose to use carry our soul to the ear of our audience. I was happy to be a Canadian immigrant and eventually a became proud Canadian. This may not be the country that I was born in, but it was the country that provided me a life.

I did a full breakdown of my thoughts about this poem on my 17th February 2025 post here.

There, they call me alien 
I’m seen as different 
Unsure if I’m home sapiens 
Reasoning fraught with dissonance 
 
Here, I am an immigrant  
Truly representing my actions 
Here they see no difference 
Just a migratory transaction  

There, is a meritocracy 
Hard work is the algorithm 
But that is an abject falsity  
It’s all about the nepotism  

Here, we depend on each other 
Shoulder to shoulder, hand to hand  
We may not be brothers 
But together we make a stand  

There, many value the supremacy  
Of one race over the other 
Belief in racial hegemony  
A story of the politics of colour  

Here, that’s also a question we face 
Asking whether racism is systemic 
Unafraid of having that debate 
We understand that racism is endemic  

We share a border that's unprotected 
After all we have so much in common  
But the place where we are disconnected 
Is that we see ALL people as human 

Bio: BRIAN SANKARSINGH is a two-time award-winning poet and author. He is a Trinidadian-born Canadian immigrant who has published several books of poetry on a wide range of social and historical themes including racism, colonialism, and enslavement. Sankarsingh artfully blends prose and poetry into his storytelling creating an eclectic mix with both genres. This unique approach is sure to provide something for everyone.

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