What the Creative Editors have been writing recently.

Charcoal Bridge by Jess Knight

Solstice by Sasha Ouvry

There are times when you must ask

someone to leave. A door, half lit

cigarette trembling

away. You are close

enough to touch.

This is not strange.

I will become a fast train, you,

the acres behind it.

Winter dims the day

into small hours. Morning takes

shape: a fallen fence, a million daggers

of grass. No place

to be. I see your back

on every horizon.

Finding my community by Terrell Bryan

Family, shared hobby, places you are from, heritage, countries, race and ethnicities …

Coming to university, I didn’t expect to find much community. At first, it felt as if everyone was too busy figuring themselves out to really connect. But after the late-night sessions, random kitchen chats, and even the nonsensical bickering that dragged on for far too long. I found a group of friends that stuck.  

Three years later, we’ve built a friendship that feels steady, as if I have known you for longer than I truly have. Nothing too big, no loud or dramatic gestures, to understand the community we have built between us. We’ve ordered takeaways, done 3 am walks back from a club, and surprised people for their birthdays. Throughout my time in Norwich, I have learnt more about people than I ever have. Different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives on the world, where this new stuff slowly started to become the norm. Tried different foods I couldn’t pronounce while learning words from different languages. Community does not necessarily mean anything grand; it’s about what you gain and learn from being in one. The community doesn’t stop here, even when someone’s abroad or back home in London, everyone still talks and feels knitted. It shows that community isn’t necessarily about where you are at those given moments; it’s about who’s in it. It also made me realise that cultural community is not just about heritage and tradition, but shared experiences that can bring a group together. Although Norwich may not be the most diverse, that certainly does not stop you from making a community and learning from different cultures. 

Photo credit: Micah Petyt