England: Poems from a School

This is a lovely book of poems reflecting a wide range of issues and perspectives related to migration. The full range of emotional states is represented, from ‘stiff upper lip’ through heartbreakingly sad and utterly lost. It is a remarkable collection considering the ages and ethnicity of the authors. They range from 12-18 in age and are recent migrants from places as far away as the Philippines and Nepal to Poland, Syria and Afghanistan nearer home. They have been or still are pupils at a small comprehensive school in Oxford.

What comes through in a majority of the poems is their perceived loss of colour and texture in the world around them. They mourn their colourful gardens and smells of spicy food. To pick out a few poems:

“To make a Homeland” – said so much in such few words:

Can anyone teach me how to make a homeland
Heartfelt thanks if you can, heartiest thanks,
From the house-sparrows
The apple-trees of Syria

And yours very sincerely

Written by a 13 year old Syrian girl.

“The Doves of Damascus” really brought home the agonies of forgetting the memories of the homeland.

“Silence Itself” – amazing

This book takes the reader to a real understanding of the effects on children of being uprooted.