2014 Kicks Off with a Slew of Activities

Thanks to Bamidele for telling us about the activities that have been keeping members of The Forum busy these last few months.

Recently, there have been a lot of heart-warming activities at The Forum, located at 2 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove in West London, welcoming refugees and asylum seekers to London.

Among these activities are Poetry Group on Wednesdays and Cultural Fridays with Camila and the Evropska Duo (a talented classical violin duo) for live world music. But the most fascinating to me is poem and stories time, which is dished out to heartbroken and low-mood refugees and asylum seekers every Wednesday between 12 and 1 p.m.

I have enjoyed a lot of poems and stories from the co-ordinator and presenter of this incredible poetry group, Mr. Valentine, and I believe other people that have been attending have also had a good taste in the wonderful sixty minutes with him.

One of my most wonderful times spent was towards the beginning of this year, when I attended Poetry Group, and Eternity by William Blake was one of the first poems that has ever touched my heart.

Eternity by William Blake

He who binds himself to a joy

Does the winged life destroy;

But he who kisses the joy as it flies

Lives in eternity's sun rise

This four-line poem teaches us that human beings should not be expecting that life will be perfect and ideal; there is always a danger associated with constant joy. But anyone that takes life as it comes will definitely live longer and witness a good part of it.