Hope Rising
Koffi
Circle by N,
Acrylic on paper 45cm by 35cm
I remember once when I was low
like a guiding light, a rainbow
stretched across the sky with her enchanting colours full of fresh air
This rainbow took me out of myself to walk, to embrace nature.
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
Like a rainbow
The rainbow inspired me to walk by the water to write a poem and paint a picture to express my gratitude to life’s source. I named it:
Water L’eau
My brush strokes bring alive a beautiful lake where birds gather.
I’ve escaped from the crowd to the calm
From pain to healing, from death-days to my birthday
From sadness to joy
From pollution to the solution.
I remember once when I was low
like a guiding light, a song
with friends at Islington Centre
‘We are all on a journey, travelling’
enjoying painting, writing poetry, and eating together.
In the pandemic those rooms became a zoom
We defied boundaries using technology so we could keep singing, painting, writing, imagining eating together! But we could not make the delicious smells of food breach the screen.
Across the hard borders and frames
we have found a way to stay connected
A rainbow is made of many colours
and hope is too.
Between different blocks the rainbow is the arch
The bridge
between people
of whatever colour, culture, religion, belief, lands.
I remember once when I was low
like a guiding light, a welcome
in St. Paul’s cathedral at the altar in refugee week. I was invited to read hopeful, inclusive words for all faiths.
I felt honoured and welcomed in this society
despite the challenging systems full of hostility.
I made a speech in Saint Paul’s, a gathering place for leaders of all nations, all humankind where the late Queen once stood and Martin Luther King with all his dreams
I made a speech
In that moment underneath that iconic dome,
I felt a welcoming home.
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
Like a rainbow
like a guiding light, a rainbow
stretched across the sky with her enchanting colours full of fresh air
This rainbow took me out of myself to walk, to embrace nature.
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
Like a rainbow
The rainbow inspired me to walk by the water to write a poem and paint a picture to express my gratitude to life’s source. I named it:
Water L’eau
My brush strokes bring alive a beautiful lake where birds gather.
I’ve escaped from the crowd to the calm
From pain to healing, from death-days to my birthday
From sadness to joy
From pollution to the solution.
I remember once when I was low
like a guiding light, a song
with friends at Islington Centre
‘We are all on a journey, travelling’
enjoying painting, writing poetry, and eating together.
In the pandemic those rooms became a zoom
We defied boundaries using technology so we could keep singing, painting, writing, imagining eating together! But we could not make the delicious smells of food breach the screen.
Across the hard borders and frames
we have found a way to stay connected
A rainbow is made of many colours
and hope is too.
Between different blocks the rainbow is the arch
The bridge
between people
of whatever colour, culture, religion, belief, lands.
I remember once when I was low
like a guiding light, a welcome
in St. Paul’s cathedral at the altar in refugee week. I was invited to read hopeful, inclusive words for all faiths.
I felt honoured and welcomed in this society
despite the challenging systems full of hostility.
I made a speech in Saint Paul’s, a gathering place for leaders of all nations, all humankind where the late Queen once stood and Martin Luther King with all his dreams
I made a speech
In that moment underneath that iconic dome,
I felt a welcoming home.
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
There is always hope rising
Like a rainbow
Koffi is from west Africa. He likes football and enjoys writing since his encounter with the Islington Centre. That place has been an asylum, a cocoon in which he confidently builds up his footsteps in the UK.
N has been a regular contributor of the Islington Art and Writing Class for many years. She studied art as an undergraduate and postgraduate both in her homeland and in Britain. Her paintings and sculptures have been exhibited widely.
N has been a regular contributor of the Islington Art and Writing Class for many years. She studied art as an undergraduate and postgraduate both in her homeland and in Britain. Her paintings and sculptures have been exhibited widely.
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