'Compassion' - A poem by Nalougo for World Kindness Day
Write to Life is a creative writing and performance group that supports our current and former clients to tell stories through art forms. It is the longest-running refugee-writing group in Britain, and the only one specifically for survivors of torture.
Compassion
In the shadow of inner suffering,
In the depths of my tormented mind
There was a deafening silence.
I needed a calming hand to soothe my anguish.
You saw my distress
My face marked by trials and sorrow,
You refused to see me suffer.
You refused to see me lose my reason to live.
To put an end to this distress,
Regardless of the colour of my skin, my religion or my culture,
With tenderness and love, you reached for my hand, and offered a blessed sanctuary.
You gave me a shoulder to lean on
To calm the storms that raged in my heart
To quiet a mind racked with phantom memories.
With you I shared my weeping.
At the same time,
You wiped my tears without considering yours, which flowed because of me.
Through these gestures
You bandaged my wounds.
You gave me hope.
You gave me a second chance to live.
It has been said
To heal the wounds of the dead soul,
Compassion envelops each in its tender embrace
Brings hope and comfort, in the darkness of life.
We should all remember this:
We offer compassion
Because we too will long for it, one day.
