Happy World Poetry Day! ‘And Again’ by Naive Gascon

It’s World Poetry Day and to celebrate we are sharing the poem ‘And Again’, by Naive Gascon. A beautiful poem about swimming and friendship, inspired by Naive’s memories of swimming in Hong Kong and her work as a domestic helper. The poem was recently awarded second place in the Migrant Poetry Competition in Singapore.

And Again

‘I miss the sea

and my friends 

who swam with me

the feeling

that is fleeting

slowly disappearing

it lingers

somewhere

i wish for a trigger

feeding space

with rocks and pebbles

in this new city

boxed in four walls

and lane lines

i see rectangles and blue

the sky and the trees

no more chasing

or tailing games

i occupy the place

me and only me

in the dead of night

behind the screen light

and pointy words

are calloused hands

tired soul and heavy heart

the longing

for warmth and love

drilling holes in my core

sprouting seeds

of sinful desires

until sleep happens

making broken dreams alive

morning has come

i woke up

to the sound of alarm

quickly dancing

to the steps of the day

with close eyes

worries at bay

fulfilling chores and duties

till thoughts happens

and again

i am thinking

about the sea

and my friends

who swam with me’

By, Naive Gascon

I interviewed Naive Gascon for our feature on Simon Holliday’s 360 swim around Hong Kong which raised over 1 million HKD for the Splash Foundation, a not for profit swim school for under-resourced communities in Hong Kong. The first programme ran in March 2015 with a group of Filipino and Indonesian migrant workers. It has since expanded to include under-privileged kids and refugees. The charity’s aim is to teach 5,000 people by 2020 and to make Splash sustainable for generations to come.

Naive is a Splash Foundation Alumni, making a journey from non-swimmer to accomplished open water swimmer. She recently moved from Hong Kong to Singapore, but swimming remains a significant part in her life.

“It’s made me more confident and boosted my self-esteem. I’ve made new friends and it’s brought me a sense of belonging. Even being away physically from Splash, I still swim regularly here in Singapore. Moving to a new country is hard at first and swimming has helped me adjust, and I am looking forward to meeting new swim buddies. Swimming has also opened this new creative door to poetry…”