We are now in our third year!

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Summer Night by Kaja Mett

Slide your fingers across the glossy window,
feel the transparent gleam of non-existent light
        making up the surface;
let your hand reach through it, reach through
        the slim shiny fog
              that isn't glass after all.
Let it touch the night, taste the navy air,
fiddle with the sky and make
        the glitter shiver,
hope that it will fall on the eerie rooftops.
Let your arms embrace the trees,
        enter their silky dreams,
touch the streets and feel their glow,
        meet the ghosts
unfolding their phantom wings;
be the sound, the smell, touch and sight,
     be the night,
             summer night.

Journeys by Mohnish Jitesh

Chicken curries, samosas, roti, bhajis all still warm
in their tiffin containers made by my aunties,
Sixteen people in a Ford Transit mini-van
but the food was taking up the space!
We left at eleven at night,
on our way to the temple in Wales.
We held our breath as our wheels sped
round the thin dark roads,
up hills and round mountains
never ending, we felt each bump!
Lavender scent greeted us when we stepped out the van
wrapped itself around us like a holy robe.
We smell of the places we've been to.

In the middle by Zoe Beattie

I'm the little sister,
The horrible little sister,
I'm the annoying little sister.

I'm the arguing one, the bee buzzing round his ear,
Who shouts loud and screams louder,
At my irritating big brother.

I am the big sister,
The amazing big sister,
I'm the loving big sister.

I am the caring one, the colour on his page,
Who will always give a hug,
To my friendly little brother.

I'm Phil's little sister,
The one who will always bicker,
Who is always easy to wind up.

I'm Adam's big sister,
The one who will always play,
Who is always the first to smile.

But there are times when I'm the little sister,
Who will share a game on the PS2,
And will laugh at his jokes that aren't funny.

And there are also times when I'm the big sister,
Who wants to be left alone,
And will sometimes utter "no".

So you see I'm the big sister and the little sister,
Their only sister,
I'm the one in the middle.

Maybe by Ony Anukem

Maybe you'd love me if I had a voice like Beyoncé
If I was smart, sweet & hot or my name was Lavontaye
Admit to you my confessions like Usher
If I was calm, cool & collected & not such a rusher
Maybe you'd love me if I wore plain white T's
If I cruised the streets and didn't run from bee's
A genie in your bottle like Ms Christina
Or if I didn't have frizzy hair like Tina
Maybe you'd love me if I wasn't a witch
If I was attractive or if I was rich
Dancing together under moonlight
If I was your baby, boy we'd never fight
Before you there was no other
I'm so glad you are my mother.

Naivety by Beth Alexandre

Dozy head and heavy eyes,
Sister either side of me,
I know I am safe.
When I awake
I hear and see a 'hum' of panic.
The cheerful yellow walls,
Have lost their brightness.
The once brand new carpet,
Had seen better days.
The offish yellow curtains,
That were supposedly white.
Maddie's Cuddle Cat on the floor.
I jump off our bed, pick it up,
Hold it to my face,
Take a deep breath in,
It smells like her,
My beautiful kin.
I must go and give it to her.
Mummy is crying,
Daddy trying to soothe.
Have I been naughty, made mummy sad?
I skip to mummy, sit on her lap.
Give her a cuddle but she won't do it back.
So I go to sit with Amelie,
To play with our bricks, however.
I am watching my mummy.
Her deep blue eyes have none of their shine.
Her stunning blonde hair, limp with stress.
Her beautiful face, pale with exhaustion.
Daddy is whispering nothings in her ear.
I cannot make it out.
But I know it is not helping.
I then notice that something is not right.
Where is my Madeline?
Her squeals are nowhere to be heard.
Ahh! She must be playing our favourite game.
You might know of it,
Peek-a-Boo.
I try to shout,
'One – two – three, I am coming to get you!'
But my brain won't listen and I'm too excited.
All I manage to yelp is,
"My Maddie, my Maddie I come find you now…my Maddie..."
Mummy's ears prick up,
Then the tears come back even worse.
I whisper to myself "Maddie",
"Maddie. Where are you my beautiful princess?"

Remembering him by Lisa Egan

Lying in a dark, lonely room
I remember running up, gently
giving him a hug and kiss
Mum lifting me up to see his smile
Happiness shone upon his face
Why can’t he come home?
I told the man who came in
Let my dad home, I miss him

The man said he will be let home soon
I was so happy
When dad slowly walked in
Weak, frail, still wearing the watch
I bought him a few weeks before
for Fathers Day

I was so excited the day he came home
we started singing
Me and Dad kept smiling
I remember that day so well

That night I saw mummy crying
I asked her what was wrong
She said it was nothing at all
But then she said Lisa
Daddy’s not that well
Tears dripped
Knowing what she was going to say
I always remember that day
How we shared his last hours together

The battery in his watch lost its life
But he will always be a part of me

I miss those memories
But do not miss him
Because in my heart he is
Always with me.

Poems from The Freedom of Paper and Ink.