Posted on 08 April 2003
I wanted to share this little class assignment of our 13 year old daughter Tamar.
It is a tribute to her grandmother, a 90+ year old genocide survivor who had told episodes of her early life to her grand daughter during the past few summer.
Tatik Mankassarian
The Passage to Freedom
Long ago there was a girl,
Her hair a mass of red gold,
Her eyes shone like mother of pearl,
Her story of woe she told.
Her hair a mass of red gold,
Her eyes shone like mother of pearl,
Her story of woe she told.
She was the young age of seven,
When disaster struck her life,
Her home was her idea of heaven
But soon would be her strife.
When disaster struck her life,
Her home was her idea of heaven
But soon would be her strife.
Her family lived in Turkey, you see,
And the Turkish wanted them out,
No matter how they beg or plead,
Their fate was deep in doubt.
And the Turkish wanted them out,
No matter how they beg or plead,
Their fate was deep in doubt.
This poor young girl she did not know
Where this long road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need.
Where this long road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need.
A ruthless desire the soldiers had
To fill their lives with pain
They came and stole her uncle and dad
And she never saw them again.
To fill their lives with pain
They came and stole her uncle and dad
And she never saw them again.
The soldiers came in the night,
When all the house was sleeping,
They killed the men who were to fight
In the morning they were weeping.
When all the house was sleeping,
They killed the men who were to fight
In the morning they were weeping.
With no men to support her family,
In an orphanage they were put.
Her two sisters and her were three
Together no matter what.
In an orphanage they were put.
Her two sisters and her were three
Together no matter what.
This poor young girl she did not know,
Where this road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need.
Where this road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need.
But alas! That promise they couldn't keep,
For their youngest one got poorly
Then they all began to weep,
She was taken so very early.
After their young sisters passing,
They had to move yet again
“How long will this torment be lasting?
When will god ease my pain?”
For their youngest one got poorly
Then they all began to weep,
She was taken so very early.
After their young sisters passing,
They had to move yet again
“How long will this torment be lasting?
When will god ease my pain?”
On the back of a smelly old mule,
She was stuffed in a tiny crate.
Their only food was bowls of gruel,
She was really in quite a state
She was stuffed in a tiny crate.
Their only food was bowls of gruel,
She was really in quite a state
This poor young girl she did not know
Where this long road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need
Where this long road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need
When they got to a river they found
A boat awaiting a ride
It was so crowded you couldn't sit down
The boat tossed and turned all night.
A boat awaiting a ride
It was so crowded you couldn't sit down
The boat tossed and turned all night.
They traveled all night and day,
Across river, desert and rail,
They journeyed hard on their way
This far on, they must not fail
After what seemed like years
The sun came out and shone
They'd seen and faced their greatest fears
Across Syria to Lebanon.
Across river, desert and rail,
They journeyed hard on their way
This far on, they must not fail
After what seemed like years
The sun came out and shone
They'd seen and faced their greatest fears
Across Syria to Lebanon.
This poor young girl she did not know
Where this long road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need
Where this long road would lead,
You poor young girl you had to go
Love is what you need
From there she went to boarding school
A scholarship she gained,
Then she went to nursing school
Her luck, it seemed, had changed
A scholarship she gained,
Then she went to nursing school
Her luck, it seemed, had changed
She then became a worthy nurse
Then married a loving man
Uplifted was her tragic curse
That young girl was my Gran
Then married a loving man
Uplifted was her tragic curse
That young girl was my Gran
If it feels the world's too hard
And hope flees your soul,
Really go that extra yard
And you'll achieve your goal
And hope flees your soul,
Really go that extra yard
And you'll achieve your goal
By Tamar Mankassarian
