Issue 4: Participant Poetry

Curated by Joanna Herman

Last month, Jo shared her thoughts with us on the connection of poetry and breath. Following this, some of our participants felt inspired to share their own poetry with us. The ENO Breathe team would like to say a huge thank you to Shazeeyah, Karen and Ali for contributing their wonderful poems, and we hope that you enjoy reading them.

Shazeeyah Akhtar: Unseen But There

Rooted in the arid land
Here I am, here I stand
Steadfast in my belief that I must fight
When all around is crying out
Stark in the reality of the underground
I must stand firm and hold my ground
For I want to live on
To hear the happiness in my surround
But here I come, coming through your roots
Through the very structure
That feeds your shoots
Lurking inside purpose bound
Causing weakness without a sound
In some I have passed without a whisper
But in you I am causing havoc
Shaking the foundation of your breathe
Causing turmoil to your norm
For now floating in the air
Coming closer by a touch
I am aware that you are there
But soon barriers will be built
Your freedom curtailed
Thrive no more on the sadness caused
I stand rooted strong as before

You may ask which came first the painting or the poem…well actually the painting came first.  This was my first substantive oil painting. Initially, it was just a pastime that I could enjoy as the days in lock down were long, and I was feeling poorly in inexplicable way. As more and more information started to come out about Coronavirus, I felt the darkness of the virus in stark contrast to the vibrancy of the cactus. The poem just flowed: the cactus with its deep roots infiltrating the soil, resisting harshness and surviving…that for me was the virus. The first stanza is the person feeling the illness, the second is the power of the virus, and the third is the voice of our communities. We still fight on. 

Karen Wightman: YOU

Where did that person go
The person with the key
A shadow in the mirror
Is all that I can see.

Haunted eyes are staring out
A tear runs down her cheek
Help me please she whispers
Find the person that I seek.

I gather up my thoughts
And try to look away
She pleads, don’t leave me here alone
Please find the time to stay.

It seems like only yesterday
That life was oh so joyful
But two years plus have passed me by
Stealing every thought, but ‘fearful’.

The person in the mirror
Seems to understand how I feel
As I slightly turn towards her
Hoping I can help her heal.

I see a tiny smile
Appear on her saddened face
As she realised she’s not alone
In this cold and scary place.

That smile became infectious
And she passed it onto me
So I offered up my hand
Very slowly just to see.

If we could form a connection
Built on kindness and on trust
And she in turn reached out to me
As our fingertips gently touched.

I’ll help you look for the person
That you are desperately trying to find
It surely is a mystery
That we can both unwind.

As the trust began to blossom
And the confidence increased
The positive thoughts and feelings
Began to be released.

Then glancing back at the mirror
She had disappeared from view
My new found friend had vanished
My new found friend called ‘YOU’

Perhaps she found the person
Who she was searching for
I’m hoping she is happier now
Than she was before.

I paused and took another look
Then realised with glee
The person I found in the mirror
That person I found was ‘ME’

Inspired by living alone with Long Covid. I have found writing my poems to be very therapeutic and I am hoping that they can help and support others in some way.

Ali Carre: Breathe

Breathe such a small word that means so much

Respiratory failure with Covid-19 and out of luck

Energy left me alone and in bed

Anxiety high, fear of what’s left

Turning point ENO Breathe stretched out a hand

Hope from simple lullabies, exercises, compassion and support

Energy returning and beginning to cope

Thank you ENO breathe I cannot say it enough,

You gave recovery hope when I had totally had enough.

You may also notice that Ali has just been appointed as a new member of our ENO Breathe Participant Steering Committee. To read more about Ali and her ENO Breathe experience, visit Meet our new Participant Steering Committee.

We are always open to receiving submissions to be considered in our future ENO Breathe Participant Newsletters. If you have any suggestions for topics and articles, blog posts you’ve written (or would like to write), and anything else that may be of interest our ENO Breathe Community, please e-mail us at [email protected].