Seeing as I have to hand in a whole collection of poetry by this September, (as part of my MA Creative Writing) occasionally I need to spark the creative process a little by actively going out and seeking inspiration.

Yesterday I headed off to the Victoria and Albert Museum with a friend, to take in the visual delights.

I was very taken by a free photography exhibition by Prix Prictet, the theme of which was Space.

There were a set of photographs in particular that stood out to me.

(A selection of images from: Tokyo Compression – by Michael Wolf)

As a Londoner, I know all too well the stifling feeling of being on a rush hour underground train.

These pictures instantly spoke to me, as I felt overwhelming compassion for the passengers I saw.

It got me thinking about the spaces that we occupy in everyday life, our awareness of that space, and how it feels to feel like you don’t belong in that space.

The poet Claudia Rankine in Citizen explores the idea of race in terms of space. She writes:

“What does a victorious or defeated black woman’s body in a historically white space look like?”

                                                                                                                             – Citizen p25

The exhibition got me thinking about this, especially as my Afro hair was particularly large yesterday, and at almost 6 feet tall I had to keep stooping to get into spaces.

Not to mention the lingering looks I always get in relation to my hair.

What does it mean to endure spaces that do not quite have enough space for you? Physically and metaphorically?

How does that impact on the human psyche?

How does it impact on our souls?

I’ll try to answer these questions in a poem of my own.

Much love always Txx