It’s always a pleasure to celebrate the creative talents of JRS’s refugee friends. This week, one refugee friend of JRS was invited to perform at the Listen to the World Open Mic evening, at St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. These open mic nights are a place where themes of home, belonging and community meet through the musical talents of migrants, refugees and local artists.
EE is a refugee friend of JRS who has taken part in several refugee activities such as the Open Writing Space and the Creative Arts Space. She showcased her artwork and performed her poem ‘Our Heart’s Desire’ and to a live audience and people who tuned in virtually on zoom. The poem takes the form of partly spoken word, and partly song. EE reflected on the experience:
“I felt really happy especially when the people inside the room tried to sing with me even the Arabic phrases. This encourages me to write more poems and songs with mixed language Arabic and English!”
We’re so grateful to EE for sharing her talents with us and many others, and we hope the words of her poem inspire you too!
Our Heart’s Desire
poem by EE
Your heart and my heart over there
My heart and your heart over here
Kalbok wa kalby honak
Kalby wa kalbok Hona
We hug each other
As a blossom flowers in the tree
Positive energy beats together
Are we all in the same boat?
Are we nine hearts?
six hearts?
or three?
Your heart and my heart over there
My heart and your heart over here
Kalbok wa kalby honak
Kalby wa kalbok Hona
We are all connected to a heart
Our longing hearts beat to see our family again
Your heart pulses for your loved ones
Aches
long-longing
through different seasons
Your heart and my heart over there
My heart and your heart over here
Kalbok wa kalby honak
Kalby wa kalbok Hona
Whether the sea is enraged
Or calm
We are together
What brings us together?
Could be Life
writing, singing, eating, painting, travelling, visiting, working, playing, migrating
Could be anything
But it is our energetic heart
That sails us to our heart’s desire
Your heart and my heart over there
My heart and your heart over here
Kalbok wa kalby honak
Kalby wa kalbok Hona
