MementoUs – Keisha Thompson The feels momentous standing in this queue feels so new but I feel related to everyone I have faith in all the scientists thank you to everyone it feels like an exciting trip out it's what we all want 1000 vaccines every day like going on a pilgrimage humanity is fragile but full of hope so many memories never made freedom is close held my breath for a year a moment for me protecting myself and others new threshold to a new normal one small jab for me science in action over 18'000 vaccines so far one huge booster shot for mankind outside the sun is shining I want to feel safer helps us bring this to an end days like this make history imaging doctors high-fiving in corridors hopefully we can hug again smiles mastered through masks made it here close to.... a year differs for one to person to a next means more for us others will join in normally feel nervous acting with compassion far from over kind of surreal safer to others end the disorientation stories we'll all share gaining momentum masking joy with a British hush here's to hugs and holidays next up please Listen to the poem here Artistic statement Following the theme of humanity I wanted to make sure the language of this piece paid homage to the human voices that contributed to the interviews that inspired this commission. Thank you to all the visitors and volunteers for their honesty and hard work. The structure of the poem is inspired by the shape of important molecules in biology and by the science behind the vaccines. The first and third columns represent the shape of mRNA molecules, and the centre of the poem represents the structure of DNA. In celebration of all the small acts that are contributing to a bigger picture, this poem is written so that it can be read in a variety of ways. You can choose to go across the three columns horizontally or start with column one then move across by column. Or maybe there are other ways that I am yet to discover myself. It is a collection of the small thoughts and big statements that highlight how we are all working together to contribute to something much bigger Artist Bio Keisha Thompson is a Manchester based writer, performance artist and producer. Keisha is Senior Manager of Children, Young People and Learning at Arts Council England, chair of radical arts funding body, Future’s Venture Foundation, a MOBO x London Theatre Consortium Fellow and a member of Greater Manchester Cultural and Heritage Group, and recipient of The Arts Foundation Theatre Makers Award 2021. Read the other poems here: Survive(d) – Hanna Ali Of Partings & Preludes – Momtaza Mehri ধন্যবাদ – Nazneen Ahmed MementoUs – Keisha Thompson Now এই সময় – Eeshita Azad Iftiin Baa Ii Soo Baxay – Ibrahim Hirsi The Crick – Will Harris Purgatory – Fathima Zahra Crick Institute Vaccination Centre Poem – John Hegley Cibaaro | Phenomenon – Mohamed 'Haykal' Abdi A Mnemonic Device – Clare Pollard চাবি | The Key – Shamim Azad Back to the project overview