Creative Writing

A Whisper, by Maria

Like any other day,
My mind full of thoughts,
I was sitting on the steps of my veranda,
Staring at the plant pot,
I was thinking where is happiness?
Staring at the pot
I realised that seeds are sprouting:

28th November 2023

Three Poems by Angel

We are pleased to share this series of poems written by ‘Angel’, a single mother living in Swansea, Wales, UK. They explore her identity as a new refugee in the UK. Her poetry examines both the positives and negatives of lockdown, including her feelings of anxiety, fear and isolation. The series provides a deeply relatable depiction of the experience shared by so many during the pandemic, especially parents, and serves to remind us that regardless of where we were born, our experience as human beings is a shared one.

28th November 2023

Overcoming boundaries, by Anon

This piece describes the feelings and experiences of a courageous refugee in the UK who is both studying and working on the frontline. Her strategy for coping with lockdown can be used as an inspiration to us all.

28th November 2023

Motto of the Day, by Dino

Motto of the Day by Dino. Translated by Helen Hintjens

28th November 2023

Hey Little Nasty, by Moon

yellow smily face on the ground with text STAY SAFE

With warm thanks to Moon and to Tom Cheesman for permission to reproduce this poem which was first published on cross-language infections – literary translations website.

28th November 2023

The Question, by Maria

man standing with open arms in the sunset

I’m thinking, thinking so hard. Someone just told me, “This is the only life, so live this life”.

28th November 2023

Bitter coffee, by Anon

This is a story written under lockdown by an Afghan refugee about losing a father. It reflects her own sense of dislocation and loss, separated from her family and isolated in her new country.

28th November 2023

Resilience, by Alhaji

Resilience, by Alhaji Kamara, who sought sanctuary in Swansea in 2003 from the civil war in Sierra Leone, and currently lives in Birmingham.

28th November 2023

Take me back to the days, by Funmi

Funmilayo Olaniyan posed in white backdrop

Funmi wrote this to express her sense of loss and disconnection under lockdown. She was a headteacher in a Nigerian school before she came to the UK and has worked hard since she arrived, becoming active and deeply involved in lots of different community groups. She is currently studying for a Law degree at University of Wales, Trinity Saint David on a Sanctuary bursary. Under lockdown the meetings and connections are now online and despite Zoom she is feeling isolated again.

28th November 2023