Fire

I once knew a young person whose playful primary school would stage a weekly ‘Opportunity Knocks’ talent show for their class. Each week, this child would perform their ‘one-man-show’ called ‘Fire fire!’: a light-hearted, witty take on someone whose environment was constantly ablaze. This seemingly confident character would climb on tables and under chairs to the amusement of their peers, as they ran from perpetual fires igniting all around them; it was one of the most popular skits amongst the class, equally well-received by the teacher and children.

It later emerged that this effervescent performer had been living in a climate of trauma at the time; at no point had this presentation alerted adults to this unknown, systematic abuse. In fact, this young person kept their terror concealed for many more years before spontaneously disclosing their adverse experiences in their mid-teens. In hindsight, the metaphor is screaming out, but it wasn’t witnessed through the interpretive, attuned, empathic eyes that may have uncloaked this more sinister undercurrent.

If nothing more, this emphasises the power of metaphor and the potency of play. I’m currently working on a children’s-book project with a colleague that is centred around Winnicottian themes associated with play; this often being such an effective window to a young person’s internal world, although messages can be subtle and veiled.

Crucial is the listening, witnessing, available other whose intention is to meet the child on their frequency. This can be a parent, teacher, social-worker, family friend or therapist, anyone who might play a valuable part in the safeguarding of young people. Fire, fire is a prime example of how our psyche has the capacity to share one’s agony and adversity even inadvertently, often through creative means. I’m thankful to be a practitioner and to supervise practitioners whose privilege it is to receive these often coded messages and to support amazing young people who might be surviving trauma such as this or any other form of suffering at any time.