EYE OF A POET
Poems by University Of Birmingham School Year 7 2019-2020
All photographs and poems gathered here are the work of University of Birmingham School’s Year 7. They were created in collaboration with Stan’s Cafe as part of a Thursday afternoon enrichment series, contributing to the school’s character education programme. Most of these poems have been inspired by a photographic walk undertaken by each class visiting one of the areas around Birmingham from which students are drawn. Students have been encouraged to look at their city and their photographs with a keen and imaginative gaze (The Eye of a Poet) before translating what they see into a series of poems. These poems have been written using a range of approaches including: strict Japanese Haiku, ‘fridge magnet’ writing, writing from a title, writing from a structure and free writing. Other students wrote their poems at home, responding to different prompts, whilst the school building was closed during the Covid19 ‘lockdown’. We had fun making this and we hope you have as much fun reading it. Year 7 and Stan’s Cafe
EYE OF A POET Credits All of Year 7 (2019/20) with Brenda Read-Brown Craig Stephens Lexia Tomlinson Graphic design & Illustration: Gareth Courage Producer: Dave Howard With thanks to: All the Y7 Tutors, Mrs. Barrington, Ms. Lundy & Mrs. Tigue and Roisin Caffrey at Stan’s Cafe Eye of a Poet was originally inspired by Big City Writing commissioned from Stan’s Cafe by Brookfields Primary School, Birmingham 2016/17. Stan’s Cafe is a theatre company based in Birmingham, which creates its own highly original productions and tours them around the world. Since the company’s formation in 1991 its artistic explorations have included collaborating with schools and young people on creative learning products especially tailored for the needs of their partners. www.stanscafe.co.uk
River, Dirty brown Shining, flowing, mirroring The reflective river Lake
7A
Laiba
As I look inside I see a mirror reflecting mystery It is wobbly like a jelly It is moving fast out of reach A single droplet falls Then it is gone.
Palm Lined and brown Out stretched, bent, waiting, Slap it away! Hand.
River Tree Grass Ducks Park The sky as blue as bubblegum On a sunny day. Ange
Ethan
I run along the bank side and try to find it I can’t find it anymore I feel lonely Like there is nothing left of me It is all gone. I walk on the pavement Then sunlight drops on me I can see my reflection again But this time it is grey It follows me everywhere
Shiny, sparkling lake How do you shine? In your prime, Really, really, please do tell me.
Like a shadow, it is a shadow!
Charlie
Maryam J
The lake is where the ducks live They eat old pieces of crust They love it when we have things to give So when we go we must bring bread. Lara A
Bus Blue, red Stopping, swiftly, moving Squeezing in all the people Public transport. Jess
On the bus we ride Seeing nature side by side, Walking down to the riverside Once upon a big time, I saw Birmingham as the crow flies, See you later. Good times alligator, This is the end of our ride. Arnav
On the move Here we go Traffic comes Oh no!
Thursday The cool crispy afternoon. “Get on the bus.” Here we go!
The traffic lights Go And stop Go And stop.
Passing through cities Grass, trees, nature, Slowly gliding along, Finally we’re there.
Finally out Smell the fresh air All the form Is finally there. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK 30 minutes With the wildlife Come and embrace Luscious green leaves Through bark Damp wet grass And oak wood logs.
We walk Observing Admiring nature Then the weather Slow, sloppy clouds Wait It’s fog. Back on the bus Waiting to go home Past nature And town.
Sparkhill, the city Sitting with a kitty, Riding on the bus, The view is so pretty. The cars stopped, Giving me a headache, Lights on board, Everything is so loud. Cars shining in the street Keion running away From a stray.
Life is good. The visit is short Short and sweet Here we go Back to the bus. Traffic is calm Its trickles and tinkles With big city lights The journey back is always shorter than going. Oliver
Haadi
Dung Flowers Smells In the street I take pictures of my seat. Arnav
Kite Colourful butterfly Floating, flying, moving The kite jolts and pulls Featherless Bird.
Diamond Shining mirror Shaped like a heart You can see your reflection In the diamond river
Gemma I looked up at the sky As the colours flashed my eyes The branches surrounded As it flutters the way behind.
Maya
Rain Depressing, misty, gloom It trickles then pours We are soaked in the unknown Raindrops
Amelia
Green Trees A door Leaves littering the way The colour brown For the trunk of time. Keion
Greg
The dead tree is brown and hollow But on top grows life The neon green grass grows there While dry hay is beneath.
The couches are red, Like my comfy bed, I thought I was dead But it’s just terror and dread Its ok cause now I’m out of that book I read
Aaminah
Overgrown fountain A faithful, cute dog bounces enjoying the duck.
Rukshan
Marshall
Will Windy afternoon Mild wild shining Beside the river. Adam Nippy wintertime Another, foggy hand runs betrayed by the leaf. Betty Damp good afternoon A red, streamline petal runs betrayed by the stream.
Leaf Glossy, delicate Floating quickly, swaying Making pathways cool,
Log Brown, mossy Disguising, hiding, standing It looks like the letter L Tree Branch
Waterlogged leaping why a faithful, mild dog runs in spite of the green.
Mature greenness.
Farhan
Jess
Deep in the forest Meandering while we run Then drift into time. Julius
Ali Green Marker Tree growing fast You are golden place Grass
Field Green grass, rusty leaves, hiding birds Dull and moody Spacious Park
Darrius
Alexander
The trees, the leaves The blue sky The darkness Under the shadows The light under the sun The grass, the wind, The rain, the birds Singing as the time pasts. Silence, Nature. Teodora
Park Colourful, fun, busy Climbing, playing, running Making children happy Playground. Imaan
White birds Muddy fields Giant like buildings Children are scrambling Away from the park Back on the bus we embark Snaps here and there Soon we are on our way Back to school like every other day. Laiba
7G
Eye Of A Poet was cut short for 7G as lockdown came into force after the third week of the programme. The group therefore only had time to write haiku inspired by their photography walk. Here are a selection of those …
The tree was lonely The tree was dead Here it stood – gone, gone! Suffering alone Longing for his forgiveness And there it stood still Rim
The tree stood lonely reflecting on its lost life. In spring it will bloom. Sabrina
Skulls in all of us, invading, unknowingly. It’s staring knowingly.
The flashing blue lights Emergencies everywhere Sirens warn with noise Zakariya
Daniel
Flowers – red, yellow Their flames against the darkness Burn in the night. Jamie
Dancing on a bin, partying and abandoned. Ecstatic matches.
Goblet flower. Surrounded by colours Feels soft like a teddy bear.
Emily
Muhid
Strong chains bonded tight rusting away day and night wanting to be free Heph
POEMS FROM THE LOCKDOWN
TBC I see the two doors fighting to be first I see the baby’s chair rejected on the floor I see the penguin dolls looking hopefully for an owner. Somewhere is America just out of reach of my outstretched arm And sometime I will see my Grandma over the pond
Squirrel (No. 2) Nibbling some apple Nuts, bread or some biscuit And requests for more
Jayden
Emily
A bumblebee lands Its life is the gold flower Keeping it alive
As I look outside my window there are clouds in the sky A rainbow in a house across the way I see raindrops hit the floor And a car I’ve not seen before. I can’t see many people because inside they all stay, When Covid 19 is gone I hope we can all play.
Ellie
Rowan
Woke up by annoying alarm Read a book Made breakfast Did some exercise Took a shower Chose an outfit Ipad already ready Started schoolwork
On my way to a convention With my dark screeching wheels And colourful lanterns. It’s peaceful on the road With the bright evening sky And the fluffy clouds that inhabit it. The sun warms me on my journey I feel the soft black handlebars And I smell the summer air. There are cars zooming past Leaves on the ground are fluttering fast There is a mysterious caravan parked Somewhere tall buildings are standing by Sometime I’ll see blue waves and the golden beach
Tarah
Emily
Tarah
A sitting Buddha Full of colour and good cheer Bringing peace and love Rowan
Silence… A ghost city… The world, once full of life, bustling, vibrant. Now a black and white reality in a deep, deep sleep. Cars, people, birds, all for show. Like a child who forgot to put her toys away, Stiff, fake; what wasn’t real, a joke, a dream now slowly becoming a reality. I close my eyes and count sheep … 98,99, 100. My mouth is dry, my palms are sweaty. I keep telling myself lies that I know aren’t true. I don’t want to open my eyes. It’s just a bad dream
Grateful for scenery of eye blessing pleasure Handmade or by machine, it is always a treasure. You don’t need a degree, just use your time and leisure And with imagination and some paint you can go to a great measure. Ellison
Frightening Evil Alarming Run
Rows of wooden fences, Green grass, A blue trampoline Somewhere a primary school And sometime the view of my village in Pakistan
Millicent
Ali
Yeshin
Holds your family together Only for your protection Under your roof Saves you from living without luxury Everyone loves them. Imaan
Ant’s Life Bee movie Cat in the Hat Dogs purpose in life E.T. Fred Flintstone Goosebumps Horrible History the Movie Independence Day Jurassic Park and World Series Mission Impossible and Marvel Pilgrims Progress The Pacifier Valkyrie. Jayden
Art, baking Love all the cake making. Fun, games, Short winter days.. Photography, magic, Umbrellas and zoom calls. Ice cream and sketching, Winning and texting.
Hundreds of clouds in the pale blue sky, Hundreds of words in a book, Hundreds of smiles on happy faces, Hundreds of birds flying by, Hundreds of lyrics in a song, Hundreds of crys on sad faces. Millicent
Red, orange, yellow and many other colours Always comes when it’s rainy and sunny In the sky so high Never missing a colour Beautiful! I said Over the sky it bends What is at the end of the rainbow? Tarah
Imaan
New York City Is very pretty. So many different places to see I love the beach and the sea. Different, delicious drinks and food My mouth watered as I dreamed and chewed. Busy roads and streets Going to New York, such a wonderful treat.
Hear the honking of a goose He’s angry at the moose. Hear the quacking of a duck He really hates it when the chickens cluck. Hear the mooing of a cow I think he saw some bees, oh wow! Allen
I like Chocolate, friends Family also. TV, olives, But not Apollo.
Trees barely swaying Cars glued to the empty roads Two birds flying round the clouds Somewhere an empty park And sometime the shops and restaurants Imaan
I like Poems, apple juice And kitkats too. Greenery, hats, French and light blue. I like a lot of things. Emily
Tarah
Blue, yellow, red An umbrella over every head. Red, purple, green More umbrellas than you’ve ever seen Green, fuschia, pink These umbrellas like ants of ink. Harry
Neat and tidy or overgrown Always quiet, calm and bright Tranquil and green, sometimes tall Usually colourful, growing to be beautiful Remarkably hairy and sometimes spiky Everyone is dazzled by the placid plants. Emily
After lockdown was introduced following the Covid 19 outbreak, we moved Eye Of A Poet online. We set writing tasks via short videos and we and the students shared examples of poetry and photography over the internet. Here are some of the poems and images produced by the students during those difficult times. Year 7 and Stan’s Cafe
Purple, orange, green It’s freedom. It spins around, makes me want to play.
The moss sat sadly breathing in the air around. And slowly died out. Hamna On a mossy rock, shattered and lonely it lies, awaiting day 9.
Broken and shattered for the sake of love Nazela
Yunus
Emily
Roses are a plant. They are a beautiful plant. They are made for love. Raees
Dying all alone Blending in like a shadow, unseen by many.
Blue white wordy board Demands and rules Things that can’t be done. Riyad
Anaya
The dog is sniffing something bright pink on the ground. The dog was sniffing. Jayden
Isolated, trapped Lost and forgotten and sad Look left, right for friends
The shiny red car has striking Olympic style. It has broken down. Alfred
The cars in the world that think they’re great they can’t deal with hate.
Weaved in, weaved out, trapped A pool of black reflection Blue misty filters
Esa
Yeshin
Nazela
The A3 wins. In never ending circles. Spinning infernal circles Samuel
This is called Audi. Gleaming like a precious gem. I wish I had one. Keshav
7S The silver necklace Dying to find an owner So cold and lonely
Chair So lonely Cold and wet The sun is fading Night is approaching Will it ever be sat on again?
Kerime
The lens sees you It considers your every move It is watching you 1,2,3 …smile Evie
Chanel Camera It can take anything, anywhere Changing and enhancing Making pictures, films and art Lens
The clock strikes twelve Morning and evening Every hour a new hour Every day a new day Every night a new night Every night a star Every day the sun
Shalabi
The bars trap me Keep me from going outside I have no friends No family They are gone and I am here Abdinasir
Camera Lens Click , click Memories kept forever A family picture Click click Zoom in Remember that moment Olivia
Hannah Tallest in the town I’m not afraid of no-one I have so much time Danya The clock struck 12 The roads silenced The moon rose And night took over the city
The clock struck midnight The sky filled with gleaming stars And the night sparkled Hafsa
Eman
Clock tick tock They wait for me I walk by Tick tock goes the clock Me on my way, him on his way Scary clock I woof Where are they? I’ve beeen waiting I look up, they are late Tick tock Number 12 But now it’s night When they come out People who do bad things They’re out there Until they melt away on the new day Mille
Time flies when you’re having fun They say I go tick tock, tick tock The same for years I see the world People running, walking, shouting I see the world But what I would give standing here To swap my hands for legs Megan
There is a dark cloud It is darker than my life Hiding all brightness Akil
I can see the road Orange and white cones And gold leaves And a sign post Bus stops, cars And a bridge and houses and a Bear and Staff And chicken dixy style and Kentucky fried Fries and burgers and people eating Trees and bushes and leaves Red car, green jumper, blue tarmac, white van And a white house and another And I can see we are there Moses
I spy, watch and find I hide, I see and I tell I am dangerous Acacia
Flower, brighter than the sun Banana skin petals Maroon stem Amazing bloom
The leaf on the ground Although not as delicate Still part of nature Alex
Banana peel slip ‘n slide Roll up, roll up for some fun Bash bang broken bones
Rowan
Richard The lost banana Looking sad and downhearted But poised for a laugh
In the graveyard I wondered What it will be like when we are dead And I looked up And above me the sky was dark and grey
Ralph
Sam
The glass is dirty Black with grime and dust and oil How am I looking? Omar
Water fights for integrity Fire fights for injustice But which fights harder? Water runs in rivers and streams and the mighty sea Floods fields and homes. And fire burns in forests and the bush Across the world far from here. Who fights harder? Fire or water? Adam
I am the lost brick I’m just off doing brick tricks Find me if you can Ellison
Behind the glass Where I find my peace As people gawp I am precious I have precious feelings I am admired but never bought But still my silver sparkles Millie and Taijah
I see people walk by I want them to save me, rewind me, learn what I have seen What has met my eye makes me cry Donkal
Hands clasped, head bowed Stone hair flying without a breeze Death billowing around her Many men fall at her feet And from her eyes fall stony tears But years fly before they touch the ground Aoife
7T Crimson sharp toothed tree Looming over my walk home Filling me with fear Harveen
Send and receive letters and parcels Magic money, secret presents, last hopes And dangerous dreams Send and receive something safe A precious box of love Send and receive hopes and wishes Send and receive the sea and the sky Ewan and Daniel
Tall metal lamp post Growing up with the trees Trying to find light Tarah
The long necked lamppost stands Lightless through the long, heart breaking night Rehaan
A gang of teens Rolling up the alleyways with spray cans Claiming territory with their colours Atar
Graffiti A hidden language with colours vibrant and contrasting New words everyday Each word and each colour has its meaning, its value and its purpose A language that some can’t decipher.
Climbing higher up Closer to the clouds above Until down he falls.
Atar
Day, night, day night Time went by, the paint dried And as the days passed more people painted And now the wall is a gallery Dante
Oak tree A billion lives living in one long life Insects burrowed Birds perched All life from the roots to the tip
Graffiti gang, spray cans Rush of creativity Artistic designs Forming shapes Forming words I see the effort The artist put in I hope others like it too Tiffany
Rhys
Mist is foggy thick Too thick to see anything My eyes are steamed up Ameera
Mint green gloss leaf I want to touch its beauty But there’s a red warning Daniel S
Denzel
The trees engulf the sky Block the sun’s view from above But still it will shine Matilda
Dress Shining, full of colour Standing, waiting, hoping Ready to be worn Costume Ewan
Finished my shopping Throw it away To these abandoned trees Nadia
Step by step I walked I could hear the wet leaves talk Mobina
Leaves hide themselves For winter is coming now They are freezing cold Cindy
Dried up leaves Crisp crunch in the breeze The gorgeous grass overlooks the path People step Walking, talking round the bend Sounds of the country Sounds of the city
The pathway ahead Leads to a new dimension Where will I go noow? Mayar
An unknown pathway It could lead to a special place Could lead to a new world Could lead to a dead end Matilda
Zara and Dinaiyah
Sit, shave New look, new shape New gel, new style, whatever you like Sit back, relax, laugh and joke Scissors will cut your worries away
This house had life stories Late night family dinners Sleepover secrets Awesome birthday cakes But the time has come for goodbyes, hugs and tears Once a great house
Ameera and Cindy
Balloons on a wire Sad and sagged like empty bags The party’s over J.J.
Tarah Poor humble toaster Left alone to rest forever Waiting to pop up
This house has seen the illness of children This house has seen late night goodbyes This house has seen bad jokes and birthdays This house has seen secret handshakes This house has seen life and death, darkness and kindness They savour the taste This house has cried Green, pink, orange, almond and more This house still stands Eat the sensation Victor and Rehaan Look, take time A bright world in perfect piles Sweet neat jewels Take one, take two, take three Ewan
This house has seen goodbye hugs Baby births Family breakfasts Life secrets Late night news This house made deaths This house gathered darkness Dante and Atar
They’re invisible Down in their dark hidden cave Listen what’s that noise?
Hafsa
Jayden Colours of the rainbow Taste sweet and sour We’ve got pink, we’ve got green All the colours that we’ve seen Arranged behind the glass so neat Go on, take and eat.
Savoury mango, almond, coconut, Pink, green, orange, yellow A sweet sensation blows my mouth away Mayar and Tarah
Zara and Dinaiyah
Printed on recycled paper by Newspaper Club