seeking dreams in the street
Loraine Masiya Mponela
a female friend tells me:
‘That night
when I found the door locked
and keys left inside of the door
to block me
I closed my eyes tightly
to make sure I wasn’t dreaming
the third eye reached for the bush
near by
I wasn’t afraid of the cold
nor humans
a multitude of snails
shelled and non shelled
licked me everywhere
asking me to open my mouth
for my food
sensing I hadn’t eaten for days.
when I come to your house
on the kitchen table
do not serve snails
as a dark reminder’
seeking dreams in the streets
another female friend says to me:
‘For 4 days I hadn’t had a bath
under the bridge where I lodged
I became aware of my own smell
I now bath twice a day
when I come to your house
please don’t ask me why I bath twice
paranoid I Am
in case the smell returns.’
seeking dreams in the streets
this male friend says in excitement:
‘Graveyard is the best of all!
no one spat at me
but realised I couldn’t speak
I didn’t know if I was alive or not
when I come to your house
please don’t shut me off when I speak’
seeking dreams in the streets
another male friend says:
‘Was very happy sleeping in old car
safer than open space
although I couldn’t stretch my legs
when I come to your house
please don’t ask me to drive your cars’
seeking dreams in the streets
and now my friend
imagine for a second
what else is going?
When I ask for my dignity back
please don’t pretend to be ignorant.
‘That night
when I found the door locked
and keys left inside of the door
to block me
I closed my eyes tightly
to make sure I wasn’t dreaming
the third eye reached for the bush
near by
I wasn’t afraid of the cold
nor humans
a multitude of snails
shelled and non shelled
licked me everywhere
asking me to open my mouth
for my food
sensing I hadn’t eaten for days.
when I come to your house
on the kitchen table
do not serve snails
as a dark reminder’
seeking dreams in the streets
another female friend says to me:
‘For 4 days I hadn’t had a bath
under the bridge where I lodged
I became aware of my own smell
I now bath twice a day
when I come to your house
please don’t ask me why I bath twice
paranoid I Am
in case the smell returns.’
seeking dreams in the streets
this male friend says in excitement:
‘Graveyard is the best of all!
no one spat at me
but realised I couldn’t speak
I didn’t know if I was alive or not
when I come to your house
please don’t shut me off when I speak’
seeking dreams in the streets
another male friend says:
‘Was very happy sleeping in old car
safer than open space
although I couldn’t stretch my legs
when I come to your house
please don’t ask me to drive your cars’
seeking dreams in the streets
and now my friend
imagine for a second
what else is going?
When I ask for my dignity back
please don’t pretend to be ignorant.
Loraine Masiya Mponela is a community organiser and migrants rights campaigner based in Coventry, England. She is the Co-Chair for the #StatusNow4All (https://www.statusnow4all.org) campaign which is a campaign calling for indefinite Leave To Remain for everyone that needs it in UK and Ireland. Loraine is a member for Coventry Asylum and Refugee Action Group (CARAG), a peer-led self-organised community group. She is originally from Malawi. Loraine has a lovely son, Comfort and a daughter in-law Rumbani.
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