Home, by Warsan Shire 

no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark.

you only run for the border
when you see the whole city 
running as well.

your neighbours running faster 
than you, the boy you went to school with
who kissed you dizzy behind 
the old tin factory is
holding a gun bigger than his body,
you only leave home
when home won't let you stay.

no one would leave home unless home 
chased you, fire under feet, 
hot blood in your belly.

it's not something you ever thought about 
doing, and so when you did - 
you carried the anthem under your breath,
waiting until the airport toilet 
to tear up the passport and swallow, 
each mouthful of paper making it clear that 
you would not be going back.

you have to understand,
no one puts their children in a boat
unless the water is safer than the land.

Analysis of "Home" by Warsan Shire
Upon reading this poem I was humbly reminded of how little I understand about the trauma and devastation that refugees encounter. However, my first encounter with this poem through independent reading did not do it justice
When I listened to Warsan Shire herself reading the poem, it really touched my nerve. Shire's reading is filled with authentic emotion and cries out on behalf of refugees who are unable to share their voice.
I could use segments of this poem with my grade 5 class to enrichen our study of immigration. I would not show the whole poem as some paragraphs address issues that are too heavy for younger students. The title "Home" is usually associated with a positive and safe place. The poem very quickly brings awareness to the reader the alternate perspective of a home. The first line "nobody leaves home unless" has the reader think critically about reasons why someone would leave what is assumed to be their safe place. In the sixth paragraph she says "You have to understand, no one puts their children in a boat unless the water is safer than the land." That line from the poem brings home the stark reality of the horrifying decisions refugee parents must make. An important distinction for students to understand is the difference between an immigrant and a refugee, and how people motives, as in this poem, are not always within their control. My parents initially planned to study in Canada and then return to China. However when the massacre during the Tian An Men protests proved the Chinese government was continuing to use oppression and fear tactics among its people, my parents decided to stay in Canada fearing they would have to sacrifice their freedom in order to return home. "Unless home is the mouth of a shark" in the first two lines is a very powerful comparison that expresses the most desperate scenario when people are forced out of their homes and the only options to consider are life or death. 
Meanwhile, the notion of “home” still remains elusive. A person could move to another country escaping the place where their life is threatened, however safety is not synonymous with "home". One might be safe, but have difficulty connecting and adapting to their new environment for an indefinite period of time. With this poem, lots of discussions could be facilitated around what truly makes a home, home.