The following poems were written by our clients in Yarl’s Wood IRC.
(Names have been changed)

Growing up

In the quiet of the dining room,
An ageing man sits huddled over scrambled eggs,
A copy of the Guardian drooling from his hands.

And in the silent rage of his broken posture,
He concludes how seldom he laughed in those years we had,
Sharp two toned shoes, double breasted suits and steady hands.

Blanks circle him,
And yet those days when he rolled and pitched the seas with the best, are just a memory away.

He muses how committed he was to the corner stone of his world,
Rocks what once supported are fixed and he drives,
He scrambles for his thought across the headlines.

He recounts his thoughts on stubby fingers the vices he declined the strain of sacrifice his children never held.
…But dazed be so much thought and recall,

The ageing man keels over,
Almost bent double, he’s anchored to his eggs.

Sadness

Sometimes I feel so sad…
So sad that I cry like a river…
To be sad, I have many reason,
I feel like to go somewhere and cry out loud,
Where no one can hear me but “GOD”

I feel so helpless here,
I don’t know what to do…
My tears talk to God and ask for help
And get me out of here

Flowers

I have never learn the names of flowers,

From beginning, my world has been a place of holed streets where thick, sluggish gutters race in slow time away from garbage heaps and sewers.

Past blanched old houses around which cowers stagnant early
There, scarce green things grew to chase the dull grey squalor of sick dust,
No trace of plant save few sparse weeds,

Just these; no flowers.
One day they cleared a space and made a park,
There in the city slums; and suddenly,
Came stark glory like lightening in the dark.

While perfume and bright petals thundered slowly,
I learnt no names, but hue, shape and scent
My mind, even now, with symbols holy

My Future

I won’t go back to my country,
Spend time with my family,

I like my MP because he is a really nice person
I love England,
I met my husband Tim here,
He is a very nice person keeping me well all the time,

I love the Government here,
The way they help the people,
All persons care, everybody is fun,

My situation now is very difficult about my status,
The bank stop my money,
I cannot do nothing,
I just need help,

I do not know where to go in my country,
My MP always helps me,
I just want to go back.

Thank you.

Release

If you do this you will get release:
Always help others
Always smile at others
Always listen to other problems
Always sympathise with others
Be positive always
Always give good advice to others if you know them
Always respect your elders
Always speak sweet to others
Always be calm
Pray to God every single day
Never hurt anyone back if they hurt you
Always be thankful to God in good and bad times