A complete overhaul to its appearance by Monika Kostera

Please tell the people in Damascus that they were loved,

tell the people we love them.

Muhammed, Omar’s brother,

Five-year-old Isaac,

Khadija Saye, artist,

Mariem, with the yellow sunflower,

Abdel, who called his sons,

Lovely smiling Sheila, 84,

Jessica, she would have been very scared, has anyone seen Jessica?

Tell the people we love them.

 

We just hope that they will find him.

 

It’s been a real journey, tears shed, highs and lows,

but mama,

I’m an artist exhibiting at the Venice Biennale!

 

Fire resistant cladding would have cost 5000 pounds.

Fire resistant panels for £24 per square metre,

a £2 increase on the standard.

 

All of these people are homeless.

 

A complete

overhaul to its appearance.

 

We are the same as those people.

It could easily have been us.

I’m a 50 year old woman with a good income.

But I swear to God, if this outrage caused a riot,

I’m fucking joining.

 

Fuck the media, fuck the mainstream!

 

I couldn’t speak to residents

because of security concerns.

What I am now absolutely focused on

is ensuring we get that support on the ground.

 

An abdication of responsibility.

An abdication of responsibility.

An abdication of responsibility.

 

I want there to be a revolution in this country.

..

Says Monika: “I lack words so I collected words shed. All of them are words shed.”