Bryant -- 23.08.10

Tripoli Airport - Libya

Little boy,
With bright, wide eyes.
Wobbling along,
Eyes filled with wonder.
Bumping onto the floor,
Bum first.

Bustling, busy waiting room,
Filled with voices,
With bodies,
Filled with heat.

Straight up again,
He totters up to the next person.
Eyes widening further,
Taking in more mysteries.

One year, two months,
He is discovering crowds
For the first time.
Eyes constantly looking,
Face beaming,
accompanied by a cheeky little smile.


Plane from Libya to Ghana

His father and mother,
Friendly.
Trustingly,
Passing their son to us.

A family of three
Taking this journey
Onwards to Liberia.
To see their country,
Their friends,
Their family,
Those who remain.

They are returning
For the first time in 16 years.
If it is safe,
They will return to their homeland,
To Liberia.
If there is still unrest,
They will continue to live in their small village,
In Libya.

Their future...
...resting on this journey.


Almost One Year On

Thinking of this family,
Of the innocent boy with the sparkling eyes.
The friendly, trusting father,
The smiling mother.

Hoping they returned to their homeland.
Praying they avoided the troubles in Libya.

Wishing Stars

Each child makes a wish.
Sometimes they wonder
thinking of it in their head.
Sometimes they whisper it
so very quietly into their star
so that no one can hear.
Often it remains their secret.
But rarely you get the chance to hear
their hopes and dreams.

A little girl,
all dressed in pink
attempts to whisper
into her wishing star.
Too excited,
she speaks a little too loud.
Her wish so innocent,
said with a smile spread across her face:

"I wish to be a fairy"

I smile.
In my head
my wish forms:

"I wish it could come true".