CHALK AND CHEESE

I’m the product of oppression, history of segregation;
stop and search without possession, negative discrimination…

Guardian-reading chitter-chatter! Can you really tell me that you
aren’t fed up of Black Lives Matter? Don’t you dare knock down that statue!

Feelings of identity are all-important to our being:
show respect and try to see our reasoning for disagreeing.

Foreign workers have vacated, left us short of vital labour,
since your xenophobic hatred scared away my Polish neighbour.

Our once-proud and mighty nation, forced by European muscle
to adopt their regulation, had become a slave to Brussels.

Don’t descend to shouting names at those whose outlook we can’t fathom;
Brexiteers against Remains, at odds across a mighty chasm.
If you want a stable future for your families and children,
learn to work together, put your differences aside and build one!

Get your Covid vaccination, wear your mask in public buildings.
This protects the population: be responsible and willing.

I won’t be a guinea pig for unsafe Covid vaccination.
Masks are useless and infringe your liberty; just fabrication.

Always there is common ground, a principle we surely shall use:
Let us hope it can be found so we can reconnect with values

JHL, 55, UK GOLDEN THREAD – TAPESTRY OF LIFE COMMUNITY

My angel’s image

I breathe in
with my eyes closed
The salty scent of the air
In my nose
Goes to my throat
Deep in my lungs.
And I hear
my angel’s voice
whispering in my ears.
I breathe in with my eyes closed
And I smell
the fragrance of an old lemon tree
in an old window sill.
I breathe in
my eyes are still close.
And I feel
A  feather touch
In my head
and I smile
I open my eyes
And I see
The unforgettable image of my father
Smiling at me.
Now I feel so calm and secure.
And I breath in…

M.D., 51, ALBANIA, ALBANIA FRIENDS

For Clint, (It’s a blessing to have known true love)

I met a man who baked me cakes For birthdays and of course, The holidays and special times, But sometimes just because.

I met a man who watched the Simpsons, OMG, the Simpsons? He’d laugh and laugh and laugh, Which made me laugh

I met a man with no sweet tooth, Not even for chocolate! When it came to whip cream, He’d let me have my fun.

I met a man who liked to dance, Especially in the rain. He’d pull me from the couch, And make me go outside with him.

I met a man who wore blue jeans and tee-shirts, But he put on a button-down, Coral-colored shirt and uncomfortable shoes, Because I asked him to.

 I met a man who wanted to be Free from worldly cares. He let me grow in the wildflowers that sprung up around his home

I met a man who wanted to be Free from worldly cares. He let me grow in the wildflowers that sprung up around his home

 I met a man who held me close When nights were fiercely dark. A lighthouse between the rocky cliffs That led to peaceful shores.

I met a man who left me here To travel on alone, But in the gentle breeze that blows, He whispers still to me.

I met a man who loved me.

TEACHER, MIAMI HIGH SCHOOL, MIAMI ARIZONA, UNITED STATES

The Wheel of Life

A voice from the dark call out
When I am trapped on a desert of gunshots
The dread of these recently freed slaves
With no knowledge or experience of warfare
Only a confidence in their virtue
Marching forward with extreme boldness

The stories of subdued cities announced their arrival
The tales of defeated kingdoms heralded their entry
To deny entry was to self-destruct
His tears are sunflower seeds
To allow passage was a chance to believe
My eyes compressing into two blue pearls
My   heart and lungs disappearing, leaving no trace
Leaving only my bones and the soles of my shoes

Oh! The blessing of associating with the Chosen ones
The excitement as they walked through our lands
The opportunity to hear their tales of triumph
The chance to join and maybe become one with them
My joy to mix with the children and women
To watch as the men shared from our farms
To help this great nation in their journey
To experience their healing
It is time to keep the promise

I.T., 10, GROUP SCHOOL AFIA NSIT ATAI
NSIT UBIUM LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA