On 14 June 2017, seventy-two people, including our friend and colleague, Debbie Lamprell, lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower disaster. Many more were injured, bereaved and lost their homes. Thousands in the community were traumatised. Today Opera Holland Park remembers all of those who suffered by publishing a poem by Samra Said.
Grenfell Silent Walk
By Samra Said
Green hearts
Carry a chorus
of justice and remembrance
Miranda, Lucy and Selin
Gift sea of scarves
Outside Notting Hill Methodist church
The young boy
lighting candles
holds his hooyo’s dim hands
I pray as the wreath is laid
Reading Al-Fātiḥah on the souls
led to the Garden ‘peace be with you’
A community symphony
harmonises in the pitch of birds voices
Greeting in solidarity
Rubble from the tower and
12 evergreen hearts
are in our minds.
Five thousand feet synced
As Zeyad conducts the march
the names of the victims still breathe when we hold them in our mouths
Silchester Road
Lancaster Road
Ladbroke Grove testify to
The monthly tribute
the crowd sounds melt away
As silence is held
In Bramley Road
We demand the truth
Gathering as one at Maxilla
A tragedy called
Grenfell Tower Fire
We chant amen 72 times and the ground shakes
