Skip to main content

Burning a Dream 1.

The following is the first poem I recited at the Y nearly two weeks ago. It is based on my own personal experiences of being a minority Asian in Barnsley, South Yorkshire in the 1980's. My family then moved to Leicester where I faced bullying at a different level. Based on feedback from my previous performance, I chose to recite this poem in freestyle, without music, to really capture the essence of the emotions. This is how it went.

Lassie from Barnsley.

The only brown face,
People would stop and stare,
Walk the streets in a sari,
You feel like an alien.

Paki, brownie, blackie
Heard it all.
Skin color 
 An automatic disqualification.

A yorkie lass,
Strong accent.
The family moved here,
A culture shock.

First day at school,
The lead in the school play,
Bad idea
With a broad northern accent!

Top that off with:
Geeky glasses,
An unusual name,
Asking for trouble.

We blended in more,
On Belgrade road,
Massi’s in slippers and sari’s,
Business as usual.

Still an identity crisis,
The turbulent adolescent years,
I always remained
The lassie from Barnsley.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2016 in Pictures- The High's within the Low's!

I mentioned in my last post what an adventure 2016 was for me. Among the toxins that were in my life ,on the creative side I’ve actually surprised myself at how much I achieved. This is a positive step towards starting the new year. It is easy to feel disheartened about the resolutions that never came into play the previous year, to the point that we do not bother making any the following year. I’ve learnt we should always look for the positives and not dwell on the negatives. It is actually the better level of success with my writing that made me realise that this is the path I would like to follow professionally and that the end of certain chapters in my life were a sign that writing is my new chapter. Here is a list (where possible with pictures) of some of my 2016 writing highlights: De Monfort university bookshop stocked one of my books, the anthology I wrote for young adults. I was invited to Moat Community College to conduct a writing workshop as part of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Post Christmas Recovery Kit!

 To say this year is a festive season like no other is a massive understatement! Without a pandemic the festive period for separated families can be a time of doom and gloom. It is with this in mind I decided to release my current book " The Post-Divorce Recovery Kit" just before Christmas.  In 2014 I published " The Divorce Toolbox" which focused more on the legal proceedings around divorce, aimed at people who were at the decision-making stage of divorce or going through court proceedings. My current book looks more closely at ways of supporting children through the process. I have included a chapter about " The difficult firsts" where I have shared my story about Christmas away from my daughter for the first time.  As the festive period continues there is now the pandemic to factor in. If there are still difficulty with the non-resident parent, it will be even harder to make decisions and reach an agreement. I have also included a section about work...
Post a Comment
Read more

More Manic Mondays

As if my Mondays were not manic enough with juggling motherhood, writing, a day job, domestics and legal antics, yes my case is still going on! I have now decided to embark on another venture by becoming an Ambassador for a company called Tropic Skincare. The company was founded by Susan Maa of the television series The Apprentice with investment from Lord Sugar.   I am still in the start up stages of this new venture but already I have gained so much from it, on many levels.   In this post I will talk mainly about my own personal benefits of the products. From my previous blog pieces my followers will know my life is not just busy but stressful. The products from tropic skincare that I have recently converted to, have not just given me a skincare regime. I have also adopted    a more holistic way of life.   The products are 100 per cent vegan and chemical free and work at a therapeutic level. The eye roll on for example has helped me with ...
Post a Comment
Read more