Finding Our Ground: A Poetic Reflection from Survivors of Torture
"Finding Our Ground" is a stabilisation group for current service users, co-facilitated by a survivor of torture. Through a collaborative process, the voices and experiences of the survivors were woven into a powerful poem.
The post examines the group's formation, the challenges faced, and the collective healing that emerged. This piece aims to honour the resilience of the survivors and highlight the transformative power of shared healing.
The group used the following prompts to create their reflective poem:
- How did you feel when you first joined the "Finding Our Ground" group, and how did those feelings change as the group progressed?
- What specific moment or experience in the group made you feel most connected or supported?
- In what ways did the group help you find a sense of stability or 'ground' in your life?
- If you could describe your journey in this group using a single word or image, what would it be and why? (thought this could be helpful for the poem)
- What message would you want to share with others who might be going through similar experiences, based on your time in the group?
Finding Our Ground
At first, I felt shame,
Discomfort in expressing my thoughts,
But over time, it became normal—
I wasn’t alone.
Others shared the same pain,
And that made it easier to speak.
I allowed it.
The shame disappeared because I allowed it.
It wasn’t just my burden,
It was ours.
Together, we carried the weight
Of similar moments,
Unpleasant situations,
But they gave me strength
To carry on.
In that room,
I felt some kind of stability.
Not enough to heal years,
Not enough to change everything,
But in those moments,
I was interlinked
With my fellow participants.
I benefited from that.
The issues we face
Aren’t solved in five or six sessions,
But they soothed the pain—
Like a sedative
For a very sick person,
Easing the suffering
But never curing the illness.
Or maybe,
Like a prisoner,
Imprisoned for life.
Every few months,
Given a few hours of freedom,
Allowed to meet family
Or see the world,
Always under tight security.
But the sentence remains.
Still, in that time,
You breathe.
You feel a little bit of life again.
I was thirsty—
Desperate for even a sip of water.
I couldn’t drink it all at once,
It would be too much.
But the drips,
They mattered.
To those who come after,
I would say this:
Be strong.
Believe in yourself,
In the support you need,
In the strength you already have.
This group taught me that.
It showed me
That I can,
And I am
Strong.
