{"id":4847,"date":"2017-11-06T09:52:19","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T07:52:19","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2019-01-29T12:27:23","modified_gmt":"2019-01-29T10:27:23","slug":"john","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/faces-stories\/john\/","title":{"rendered":"John"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"John\"
John (Zimbabwe)<\/em>, 2017,\u00a0Gicl\u00e9e fine art print, 160 x 120 cm<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

John<\/strong>
\nStudent<\/strong>
\nZimbabwe<\/strong><\/h4>\n

I live in Kypseli with my brother, Bryan1<\/sup>, and three other housemates. When I started attending the Museum2<\/sup> programme, I still hadn\u2019t started school here in Greece. So, I had enough time to think about the discussions we had there on the artworks, even after I came home. Sometimes, what\u2019s more, I would even write a poem.<\/p>\n

Writing poems is something I\u2019ve done since childhood. I started reading the Psalms of Solomon in English, which influenced me to write my own poems. My mother encouraged me to keep reading the Bible, while my teachers at school were impressed by my level of English and the quality of my poems.<\/p>\n

Initially, I didn\u2019t believe them, but all the teachers I\u2019ve had, even when I moved school, used to tell me the same thing and encouraged me to continue. One of them advised me to read Shakespeare and other poets, and so I read Macbeth<\/em> and The Merchant of Venice<\/em>. I\u2019ve also seen Shakespeare\u2019s plays at the theatre, and I loved them all. This is why I thought that indeed I should keep on writing my own poems. And so I did.<\/p>\n

One of my notebooks, where I had written quite a lot of poems, was stolen. I thought I had lost everything, that I would never be able to write again. Indeed, over the last year I almost forgot about this favorite habit and, during the time I was in Moria3<\/sup>, Lesvos, I didn\u2019t put pen to paper. I just started talking with people, who said how good I was, and, thus, I started again. In July, when I came to Athens, I continued even further. I want to write a book. I don\u2019t write just poems, what I do first is to find a story. Most of my poems are based on human stories. But my biggest inspiration is girls. I imagine myself being with them, speaking beautiful words. This is how I write, initially I have to find a story and then write the verses. Moreover, I plan to write about my experience in Moria. But I have to find a story first.<\/p>\n

Some of the works we saw in the Museum4<\/sup> made me think about human relationships today, others about the conditions refugees faced in the past and how these have changed over the years. Finally, others made me think of more personal matters. For instance, \u03a4<\/em>he Raft, <\/em>by Bill Viola, depicts many different people, each absorbed by something different and personal and not even looking at each other. Then, the work shows what can happen when people are not united, when they\u2019re selfish about preserving the peace and not ready to sacrifice anything for the sake of unity.<\/p>\n

Vlassis Caniaris, in his work Hopscotch<\/em>, shows the rules a refugee must follow in a foreign country. We too, in Zimbabwe, have the same game and I know that in order to play, one has to follow some rules. That\u2019s what a refugee must do in order to adapt to a new country. I identify with the figure with his foot on the suitcase, as if he were trying to understand the rules in order to play correctly.\u00a0 That is exactly what I do so that I can integrate in this country and have a successful life.\u00a0 I often think that in the past, when the artist created this work, things for refugees must have been worse. At least today we have the internet and several organizations and people who are helping refugees, despite the language barrier, prepare their documents and find a place to live and be safe.<\/p>\n

But the most inspiring work for me was Sails<\/em> by Bia Davou. In this work, sails are like people with different opinions about life, of different origins, religion etc., having different orientations, probably due to different goals. But, still, all the sails are fixed on the same base, just like humans who share many common traits.<\/p>\n

I am really impressed by the story of Odysseus, which this work made me think of, and I\u2019d like to learn more about his adventures and his wife, Penelope, who was waiting for him back home. As soon as I returned home, I thought of myself and my girlfriend, who is far away. With these thoughts, I wrote this poem to her:<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Leandra,<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m out for greener pastures
\nBut do not put our love past us <\/em>
\nEven though I am away right now<\/em>
\nI feel your proximity in my heart<\/em>
\nMy love has reached its intensity<\/em>
\nHow art thou my princess of grace<\/em>
\nHow art thou my queen of bliss <\/em>
\nKeep me in thine heart<\/em>
\nFor forever we are a part. <\/em><\/p>\n

Days come and go without you<\/em>
\nI have tough love but I miss you thats the truth<\/em>
\n\u201cDoes true love exist\u201d, why would anybody<\/em>
\nask that, when we exist. <\/em>
\nAwait my presence even if Prince George comes for you <\/em>
\nI\u2019m at war, for us, trying to reach success<\/em>
\nHave a great heart like Penelope<\/em>
\nI your Odysseus am on my way<\/em>
\nIt might take time but be strong.<\/em>
\nI have great stamina like Kong5<\/sup>.<\/em>
\nMy body and mind is only troubled without you<\/em>
\nMy heart drips, deep red<\/em>
\nMy adrenaline travelling at the speed of light<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou are gonna miss me when you gone\u201d, you were right.<\/em>
\nA young beautiful lady from the valley<\/em>
\nBeauty, charisma, queen, you define it<\/em>
\nDo people really get heartbroken?<\/em>
\nI haven\u2019t seen it<\/em>
\nYou own my heart, beautiful <\/em>
\nYou are my life, Leandra.<\/em>
\nI wish nothing but success in your life.<\/em>
\nBehind a successful man, there\u2019s a beauty who strives <\/em>
\nThats you my lady. <\/em><\/p>\n

I had die for you<\/em>
\nLet it happen and I\u2019ll show you the truth<\/em>
\nMy true African queen, you give life to nature<\/em>
\nFine body like a mermaid from Mars<\/em>
\nAnd you shine brighter than the stars. <\/em><\/p>\n

I wanna be with you and only you<\/em>
\nI wanna wake up next to you every morning<\/em>
\nI will be there with you<\/em>
\nHappiness, sadness, I\u2019ll be there <\/em>
\nYou own my heart, Leandra. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1\u00a0<\/sup>John\u2019s brother, \u0392ryan, also participated in the programme.
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>Refers to the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens.
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>Refers to the Reception and Identification Center in Moria, Lesvos.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>Refers to the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>Refers to (King) Kong.<\/p>\n

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Audio Files<\/strong><\/h5>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]\u0395\u03bb\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd\u03b9\u03ba\u03ac<\/p>\n

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English<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/mp3\/John-E.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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\u0639\u0631\u0628\u064a<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/mp3\/John-A.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u0641\u0627\u0631\u0633\u06cc<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/mp3\/John-F.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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[vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/2″]Slovensk\u00fd<\/p>\nhttp:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/wp-content\/uploads\/mp3\/John_Zimbabwe.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

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[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1511022388651{margin-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text] John Student Zimbabwe I live in Kypseli with my brother, Bryan1, and three other housemates. When I started attending the Museum2 programme, I still hadn\u2019t started school here in Greece. So, I had enough time to think about the discussions we had there on the artworks, even after I came home. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":18,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4847","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4847"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7967,"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4847\/revisions\/7967"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.faceforward.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}