The Healing Power of Writing

Creativity has a tendency to take a back seat when people experience homelessness.

Figuring out how to find food and warmth takes precedence. There’s simply no time for recovering your creative self.

Every week at Providence Row we run a range of creative groups as part of our Learning & Wellbeing Programme. We believe passionately that everyone has creative talents and a story to tell.

In celebration of National Poetry Day (October 3), we would like to share this moving poem by Simon, one of our service users.

We hope it touches you as much as it’s touched us.

Desert – by Simon

The desert is an empty space
All water lost without a trace
No food to eat, nothing to chew,
Nowhere to go, nothing to do.
 
No signs of life for miles around

Nothing to see but parched dry ground
If only it rained for just a day
All my blues would go away
 
The strongest live the weakest die
It makes no sense I don’t know why
My dream is just to find a tap
 
To free me from this arid trap.