DOCUMENTARY: Crisis And Hope [episode 2]
Watch part 2 of Crisis and Hope, Owain Astles' searing documentary about homelessness in Bristol and why we need to pay...
(I went to Morocco as a Moroccan I left reminded I was not)
Sophia shares a poem about the displacement she felt after visiting her mother’s homeland
I have always felt culturally isolated in England, in my home. I am not quite Arabic and not quite Jamaican and not quite British. I am reminded of these facts constantly. Navigating belonging in a world so static in its boundaries has been a challenge. Upon visiting my mother’s homeland as an adult, I prepared myself for acceptance however my displacement followed me on my travels. This is a poem I wrote reflecting on these experiences.
(I went to Morocco as a Moroccan I left reminded I was not)
if the ants ceased to scurry
you would never know there was a hole present
one by one, like an army
they marched
from the crack in the wall
across the cold floor
to the fridge
I watched the ants
as my Senegalese twists were tugged
and pulled, by the handful
as words and phrases
were said by the mouthful
so sped
I forgot to understand
It didn’t hurt
but before it had been issued
I knew
the style wouldn’t suit me
It was made for straight hair soft hair silky hair
not my hair
instead of thinking too deeply about the oxymoron of my competing hair styles as a physical amalgamation of my internalised cultural dispute
I looked closely at the uniform ants
all aware of their place
along the cracked white tiles
I looked closer still
one wasn’t quite in line
Illustration by Jazz Thompson (www.instagram.com/jasmineshaniceart/)
Support more young people to have their voices heard
Rife is Watershed‘s online magazine created for young people, by young people.
We offer paid internships and publish work by young writers, photographers, illustrators, and filmmakers from all sorts of backgrounds, helping them get into creative careers. Rife has reached over 8,000 young people through our workshops, over 220 young people have made stuff for Rife on topics ranging from mental health to identity to baked beans, and last year, over 200,000 people visited our website.
In these complex and uncertain times hearing from and supporting young people who are advocating for social change and contributing fresh perspectives has never been so important.
Through supporting Rife you can ensure that this important work continues and that more young people have their voices heard.
Comments
You may also be interested in
Barber Shop Chronicles: why the barbershop is sacred space
Masculinity, Mandela and motherland: Ellams' bold play pulls back the curtain on barbershops across the world.
Why I won't date white women any more
Hansit explains why he's changed his dating preferences as an Indian man
About the author
Sophia Harari
Sophia is a writer and musician creating content surrounding identity and self-expression. By doing so engaging in dialogues surrounding perspective, lineage and the marginalised experience with a focus on marginalised sensuality. Eclecticism and Intersectionality are essential to her work. Through poetry, essays, modelling, music and journalism she attempts to explore her story, using various methods of storytelling. Using diversified mediums for diversified understanding.
About Rife Magazine
Curious about who we are and what we do? Have a read of this.
Contributors
Here are our contributors - the amazing young people that have made all the stuff on Rife.
Get Involved
Under 24? Send us your ideas. Rife is yours and we want your stories.