{"id":874,"date":"2023-10-26T08:43:24","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T07:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/equality-and-diversity\/?p=874"},"modified":"2025-01-31T13:05:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T13:05:00","slug":"the-silly-red-ball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/equality-and-diversity\/the-silly-red-ball\/","title":{"rendered":"The Silly Red Ball"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A poem by Faten Mostafa Hatem<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Introduction\/Special thanks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\nMan wearing clown make up and costume, holding a white rose, and looking down with a sad expression on his face<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Art helped me through the journey of recovering from the intense impact it had on me living in different countries and situations exposed to different people, culture and social standards. Art was a way to find peace..to create peace for myself at times\u00a0when I have been attacked for who I am and now I use it to ask for peace for us all who\u00a0are going through discrimination. A dedication to my beautiful friend Alaa Shehatah from beloved Palestine, who we can only pray that she, her family and people survive the conflict, find some peace and hopefully live in a world that one day will see beyond her colour, nationality or religion.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Silly Red Ball<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A man in a suit, a clown and a small girl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sitting in a boat in silence, with no clue of a shore<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man turned to the clown, He asked for a joke<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He answered back: \u201cVery well then, we`re all bored<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…I know one, actually, the best of jokes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The kid knew what he`s up to but never said a word<\/p>\n\n\n\n
with a smile most sarcastic \u2026the clown spoke<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was at the top once; I was no small\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026A bright young bird that`s been hit by a stone\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026isn\u2019t this mine?, I asked\u2026 what the boss just stole?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I suddenly couldn\u2019t eat, smile, or talk\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026I went to the doctor to figure what`s wrong\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c..A fracture in the heart, he said, a wound in the soul\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c..I went back to my office,\u2026 they sent me home…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026If you don\u2019t give in\u201d, they said you`ll never belong\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The clown kept on talking, \u2026and took off the silly red ball<\/p>\n\n\n\n
his smile has faded as he revealed his skin tone<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026it was all about justice…what I`ve written before\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No one could laugh, move or say a word<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That’s when she grinned .. that little girl<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026he thought it was \u201cOpen\u201d, she said \u201c..but it’s a very closed door\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cmy brother was silly to think\u2026 he can face them all alone\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy father says; it is never \u2026.the company you work for\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cthese are groups and friends\u2026. No fair people, No fair war\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Faten Mostafa Hatem<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
ARTIST PROFILE:<\/p>\n\n\n\nA black and white picture of a woman standing in an art studio wearing a dark dress, light hijab, and carrying a handbag, looking thoughtfully at a painting.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Faten Hatem is a scholar, architect and artist. Find more works on her website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/equality-and-diversity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2023\/10\/clown-cropped-2.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/equality-and-diversity\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2023\/10\/Picture2-1.png\")