“Poetry is a power for me,” says poet and activist Parwana Amiri. She recently found herself in Prague, coinciding with Petr Sobalík’s planned poetry session for newcomers to the Czech Republic. This serendipitous meeting highlights one of the beauties of the AWoN community: connections across Europe that lead to well-planned collaborations or – spontaneous exchanges like this one.
By
Magdalena Wernefeldt
The poet and human rights activist Parwana Amiri happened to be in Prague just as Petr Sobalík had planned a poetry session. Both of them are AWoN practitioners.
Petr Sobalík leads the Doma project, which organises activities to help newcomers meet new friends, learn the language, find jobs, and most importantly, feel at home in the Czech Republic.
A medium for political commentary
Every Thursday afternoon, they meet at the community center, Žižkostel Church, for Czech conversations or to invite a guest.
“We had planned a meeting with the Czech poet Monika Hojná and Ukrainian refugee Michail Aivaz, who also writes poems. When I learned that Parwana was in Prague, it was a special occasion to invite her,” Petr Sobalík says.
Parwana AmiriPetr Sobalík
Throughout history, art has served as a powerful medium for social and political commentary. From Picasso’s “Guernica” to Banksy’s street art critiquing contemporary social issues, art transcends language and cultural barriers to deliver impactful messages.
Inspiring the concept
“Poetry is a power for me. It is a way of expressing my journey, and sharing poetry has always made me feel free. That was the reason I started writing,” Parwana Amiri shares.
The three poets read their poems and discussed them with each other and the rest of the group.
“For me, it was very interesting because each poet writes from their unique artistic point of view. I was thrilled to learn about the context of their creativity,” says Petr Sobalík.
In return, Parwana Amiri was inspired by the concept:
“It was amazing to get to know people and it really inspired me to start something like this in Kassel.”
“We Were in Distress” by Parwana Amiri
In a dark scary night As the moon was smiling In the middle of the sea We were in distress
My mother was crying Scared for us all In that angry rough sea We were in distress
Time was passing slowly Seconds were counted Danger was alerting us we were in distress
Stars were sparkling Water was all around Babies were all crying We were in distress
Thousands of dreams in the sea Many courages were put to the test To reach safety, crossing the sea We were in distress
Some holes in our rubber dinghy Let the water in slowly We took both our shoes off We were in distress
We searched for something Nothing around to Throw the water out of the dinghy We were in distress
Our hearts were pulsing hard Our eyes were getting wet We were sinking We were in distress
The final moments were upon us We reached the shore Exhausted, alone, distressed We reached Europe
This poem is written to describe the scene of me and other refugees in a dinghy, trying to reach Europe. In their last effort to cross the Aegean Sea, there were many people in one boat and it was a dangerous, terrifying night. The water was coming in the rubber boat and we were trying to throw it away. I like the power of poetry to express the scenes I have experienced as a refugee. It is important to remember that as you read this poem many are still trying to pass borders and put their lives in a rubber boat, with the aim of reaching safety. The poem is included in the book We will fly higher, Palewell Press, 2022.
