‘I am from’ Poems
Here are some short poems written by our corps members, taking inspiration from moments or things that contributed to making them who they are.
We are very proud of the range of experiences and the diversity of all our volunteers, which is why we would like to share these poems with you all.
Salena George
I am from an area where the red Double Decker bus drives fast
Past busy Streets and young Mc’s
Spitting on Mics to old school garage or grime Beats
………
I am from somewhere you can congregate
For rice and peas, chicken, luxurious sweet bread or sugar cake
A place where there is a chicken shop near every bus stop
“Eh bossman, 2 pieces of Chicken and Chips!”
Sip on your drink after Licking your Lips
………
I am from a hood where you see your bredrin: “yo, what’s good?”
Hollering “I’m alright still”, but deep down you’re no man of steel
When vex or shocked “cheese on bread” cause whatever happened “was a par!”
So mad at the event
“Ah, what you tek dis ting fah?”
………
I am from melodies of soul fusing with calypso
Rhythms that make you get up, dance and flow
Tapping your feet with the sweet reggae beat
From gully creeper and dutty wine.
Don’t start war, don’t attempt a crime – these sounds of music is to have a good time!
………
I am from a maternal island from broken shackles and uprising pride
Good manners of “good morning, good afternoon and good night”, the locals provide.
A paternal island with blazing sun, 365 beaches of clear blue seas and white sands
I am from an island, another island, a different type of island
Where Paul Gilroy once said: “there’s no black in the Union Jack”
This island is of a kingdom of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
With large multicultural societies and a land of forgotten tales.
Yemi Akinwoleola
I am from home made cookies
My loud friends and traffic lights
………
I am from the fish and chips shop
Jellof rice and Mc Donalds
IS IT? “oh my days”
SHUTUP (in stock, not ****)
………
I am from the fresh prince intro,
Destiny’s child and Rosie and Jim
………
I am from… Africa, City Year and
ADAM and EVE
Kiran Chauhan
I am from houses and fields
And lazy roads
Curry, rice, chips and samosas……
………
I am from… “Nah blood”
“Whats Gerwaning?”
“INNIT! man”
………
I am from…. Bollywood 80’s
Michael Jackson
India Gujrat; Grandparents
Nairboi Kenya; parents
Michael Harvey
I am from.. pubs, jazz and church
Peanut butter (smooth)
Bacon sandwiches
HEAT!
………
I am from, Do you have a flag?
“Oi Oi”
………
I am from, The other women +
Against all odds
………
I am from Facists + the trodden on +
Norman invaders + you
Mike Procter
I am from Poole, it smells of cool
Of chlorine, countryside, home cooking and school
Of dreams and adventures and places to Roam
Of friends and family the place I called home
………
I am from fish and chips
From cooked breakfasts salads and dips
I would always finish my school dinner
I ate up all my veg
I am a saint not a sinner
………
I am from tuck your shirt in
From standup straight, put your rubbish in the bin
Work hard at school, don’t run in the playground
Don’t talk to strangers
Get home safe and sound
………
I am from…. Britney hit me one more time
Eminem rock those lyrics into a rhyme
Christina Aguleira I’m a genie in a bottle
Dancing all day going full throttle
………
I am from the planet of the apes
From watching videos and listening to tapes
I am from a world full of love
And for that I thank the lord above
Michelle Amponsah-Boadu
I am from The Beatles, zebra crossing
The studio….. norf weezy
(Abbey road)
………
I am from Fofo, jollof rice,
Park, chicken and corned beef
………
Don’t we get it ‘twisted’, ‘longage’, ‘Boyd’, ‘standard’
And ‘boom ting’
………
I am from High life to hip life, gospel,
Kenny Rogern, Lionel Ritchie
The Bap and Bobby Brownie
………
I am from the Womb,
The ‘pure water’, markets,
The red, gold, green and the black star.
Doaa Shoreim
I am from …
Tall buildings in small areas
I am from small buildings in large spaces
………
Eggs beans and toast,
I am from Mousaka and falafel
………
Oh my God go manden
I am from ya3ni
………
I am from they don’t care about us
I am from America
………
I am from Egypt, Yemen, India, Tunis
I am British.
Ben Thomas
I am from the see- sawat my local REC
From the sound of children laughing
From the smell of grass in the summer
………
I am from Sunday roasts
And my mum’s lasagne
………
I am from dancing to Led Zepplin at age 7
………
I am from Scottish fisherman
Nordic pitartes and Irish farmers
Sara M’Ribet
I am from houses, trees, busses, loud children
Bendy roads
………
I am from kebabs, couscous, chicken,
saffron, and sweet pastries
………
I am from bla (bla, bla, bla) yesssss man
Spice Girls, Destiny’s Child and Peter Andre
………
I am from Tangier
Morocco, busy streets,
Colourful soles, wild stray cats
Helen James
I am from packed lunches
Parental nourishment made bite-sized:
a palatable solution for digestion devoured by
The thought of school dinners,
A performance recited,
Any test, or gatherings, for which I got excited.
So digestives for snack (which we called merenda), mixing
raisins with tuna and Babybel cheeses, into
portions that grew and grew
’til they were super-sized
and
then
receded
Back to the Med roots
The chaparral, I am from. Life sometimes littoral, brushed by palm fronds
a proud display
of
Order and Joy
In swaying symbiosis
also at play
In the daffodils
that with the
Sun and Rain sprout
just as my own growth is feted, each year
(I suspect that they know that I hold their land dear).
This nation of Chestnuts to whose heights I aspired,
in whose boughs I was cradled
and therein inspired, to
Grow, grow
I am from other fields (less green) of development:
Early Years Education, Scientific Method
from Power
and
Knight
and
Uncle Dave (one ever present
where Britons are found
along any old line of
ancestral descent)
Big names to live up to.
Big, bad tendencies to fight
using the perfectionism and passion
That are mine, I am from
It’s Not a Fashion Show and Life’s Not Fair
But to improve it we’ll try
to do more than our share
Of accepting, respecting, and all coexisting,
Yet unable to tolerate
(is this a mistake?)
those who, in our judgment, do not
I am from both sides
Of an ancient river,
One Victorian
One E17
(And importantly) from Bridgetown (though I’ve never been),
but whose culture is cherished, sought out and savoured
By us lovers
Of the exotic, of the other. Of different
and tempting new flavours
To happily wed with tradition
encased
in the bow-fronted cabinet,
carefully packed
for travel from Home
to Home (where the heart is).
One of many gifts bestowed by our Peggy who
Out of character, gave up, packed it in,
And left us with memory-boxes a-plenty
Now lacking photos from years starting Twenty
Because I
Since I am
I am from
A life too fast-moving to capture,
despite high-end year-end resolutions
A home too packed to accommodate
gadgets of the recording type. And
A place too exposed to remain,
blind to erosion, the same, as where
Where I’m from.
