Seeking refuge in library

by Loraine Masiya Mponela

I claimed asylum beginning of November 2015
I was moved from Leeds to Birmingham beginning of January 2016
and briefly lived at paragon hotel

After posting this tweet 

I was fetched the same day and moved the following morning to the famous prison like home office hostel at 4 Stone road, run by G4S at the time. It was hell on earth. I felt my heart burning for the first time.

One day I arrived to a totally new place, on arrival I was told I was in Coventry. I was placed in a most dirtiest house on earth. But I was touched by the lovely souls that lived there.

To escape from this environment everyday of the week I found myself a chair at one end of the library (I still call it depression corner) and everyday that’s where I would go and sit and come ‘home’ at night to sleep when library closed.

I only moved out after a year and half when I received a refusal. It brought to an end my refuge in library

When I read my seeking dreams in streets poem reminds me that at least I was lucky to have a warm bed even though swimming in dirt.