My pen and paper

I walk a deep sadness path with my loneliness. This emptiness makes me slow. I fall to my knees and cry out loudly. Tears knock silently at my eyes.

I cant find anyone to share my pain with so I make friends with my pen and paper. I share with them all my pain. They cry with me.

The paper becomes wet with their tears.

• Ravi

Feelings of Loneliness

I am alone very alone. And this is what alone is: To be nothing To have nothing To hurt so badly Aching not only in your heart But in every cell of your body. I am ignored, utterly unnoticed, thrown aside as a completely uncared for orphan. And friendless because they’ve all gone. Their love, their smiles all gone. I was left behind with no one to walk with. Oh how I want them back! With no friend to see or hear my agony I cry. With all possibility of hope vanished sorrow moves in to love me.

After travelling to Australia from Sri Lanka by boat, Ravi was detained in Nauru Regional Processing Centre and Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation for over three years. He is now living in the community and has published a collection of his poems written from within our detention centre system.