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Published in 2012 by Wordjar Publishing No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except for the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. www.wordjar.com [email protected] Facebook: Wordjar Twitter: Wordjar Wordjar Publishing. London Edited by: Kimberley Kasirowore (Wordjar Publishing) Designed by: Kelvin Akposoe (Wordjar publishing) Foreword London 2012. The mere mention of locatio

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Page 1: City Shades
Page 2: City Shades

Published in 2012 by Wordjar Publishing

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except for the case of brief

quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

www.wordjar.com

[email protected]

Facebook: Wordjar

Twitter: Wordjar

Wordjar Publishing. London

Edited by: Kimberley Kasirowore (Wordjar Publishing)

Designed by: Kelvin Akposoe (Wordjar publishing)

Page 3: City Shades

Foreword

London 2012. The mere mention of location and date together bring to many memories of celebrated events hosted in the city. The 2012 Games of the XXX

Olympiad, the Royal Wedding and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, all contributed to perpetuating the perception of London as an elegant, sophisticated and multi-

cultural city. Fantastic as this may seem, these iconic events were marred by the nightmare that were the city’s riots just ten months prior.

Following the completion and publication of WordJar’s identity focused ‘Who

Am I’ anthology, the team felt that an anthology exploring the true identity of centre staged London would best follow. This anthology works to reflect

the opinions possessed by the mixed multitudes that reside either side of the Thames’ banks.

The following poets were called to play mind’s eye tour guides, by taking readers on a worded journey through their backyard metropolis. Authenticity was essen-tial on this project, and it is to be noted that working with these poets felt a lot

less like work, and a lot more like conversation.

It is for their efforts that I give them thanks, and yours for giving the audience.

Kimberley KasiroworeEditor

Wordjar

Page 4: City Shades

CONTENTS

35791215

Like LondonA force to be reckoned with

Inner City RainbowLondon is Burning

LondonLondon Lonely

Page 5: City Shades

CITY

Page 6: City Shades

SHADES

Page 7: City Shades

Like Londonby

Andrew Isabirye

‘’If you’re not careful London will get the best of you...”

3

Page 8: City Shades

To be constantly under construction, like London.

Is to be;

Constantly un-content with your net worth.

Constantly self-conscious of your public appearance.

Constantly in the shadow of the pretence of your name.

If you’re not careful, this city will get the best of you

To be constantly under construction, like London.

Is to be;

Constantly attuned to the spaces around you.

Constantly connected with the peoples of the world.

Constantly under the influence of the magic which gives

Bricks, mortar, steel and glass a life of their own.

* If you’re careful, this city could get the best of you

To be constantly under construction, like London.

Is to try and fail, and now here you are, under a temporary housing estate,

Soon to be knocked down and replaced - by luxury apartments,

And you are relocated to NW8,

Thinking about all this city has put you through,

Yet still thinking; scheming of a plan, entitled and underlined

London; I will get the best of you

Andrew Isabirye

Page 9: City Shades

A force to be reckoned withby

Shenece Liburd

‘’Chapped lips, cracked lips, the wind cracks it, whip...’’

5

Page 10: City Shades

Chapped lips, cracked lips,

the wind cracks it, whip.

The blustering, blistering witch

like a snitch, as our secrets slip,

slither through the crevices

the corners of the council houses,

peering overing the terraces

trespassing it is.

our lives it skips,

never ceasing, ever increasing.

Watches, whispers, waiting in the wing.

The pigeons croak, they dont churp,

they envy the exotic bird’s sing, chanting.

Flapping their decrepid wing, no fight no flight, theres no use in waving the

useless and paining.

Curled up on the balcony, sheltered from the peircing sting.

What an evil thing, its force not to be reckoned with,

it has the power of a king,

you’re just a pawn in play,

left pining - waiting for the opponent to win.

But this isnt the ending, your still defending.

Under the skin, pounding adrenalin.

You will overcome, as you gather strength from within.

Shenece Liburd

6

Page 11: City Shades

Inner City Rainbowby

Anthony Lyrics

“If you believe in yourself, the city’s shade will support you as you grow...”

7

Page 12: City Shades

A young girl becoming a single mother gives birth to her baby Violet,

Whilst her baby’s father sells drugs; deferring ambitions of becoming a pilot.

On the other side of town, a greedy banker waits as the lights turn Yellow

Ecstatic about gambling the nation’s money to leaves us mourning like Othello.

As the news breaks, so does the will of the youth burning Red,

Rioting the streets with rage as some tweet their inventory before bed.

All across the city, everyone tries to avoid the clutch of the Blue,

As figures reveal, London is becoming another crime filled South Central.

Yet, despite the negativity, kids still aspire to change the world and live Green,

Surviving to make a better way; striving to fulfil their dreams.

And some students do beat the debt, and invest in a brighter future like Orange.

Making their way up corporate ladders with others to leave the opportunity door

unhinged.

Destiny and fortune are abstract concepts like the colour Indigo,

If you believe in yourself, the City’s Shades will support you as you grow.

Anthony Lyrics

8

Page 13: City Shades

London is Burningby

Gloria Ede

“London a twisted kaleidoscope, of hope, fears and dreams...”

9

Page 14: City Shades

London.

Live here all of your life

But still feel like a tourist

I find myself walking on the left

And standing on the right.

Your right.

Much to the annoyance of my fellow travellers

Standing out like a light, in an office at night

Still on after everyone else has gone

Refusing to switch off just because

It seems the works been done.

From the cold grey stock markets on the grey square mile

To Dalston market where an aunty, headscarf tied,

Bargains for two cuts of meat for the price of one

We’re all buying and selling

Selling ourselves to buy temporary happiness

But the price has been paid

Long before we were made

More beautiful than any work of art in the Tate

More dramatic than anything portrayed on a West End stage

If only we could see our city’s worth through His London eye

10

Page 15: City Shades

You see a girl drunkenly stumble outside the club

Singing ‘God save the queen’ at the top of her lungs

But He hears the real song she cries in her heart

‘God save me. Please’

Madman on the underground

Eyes avert, passengers shuffle uncomfortably around

No one sees him let alone the demons that plague him

and torture his mind.

London.

A twisted kaleidoscope of hopes, fears and dreams

A petrie dish of souls not as happy as they seem

As we float along the Thames

We’re oblivious to the waste that lurks beneath.

Lights forever on but still shrouded in darkness

Thick layer of smog above the clouds.

Above our hearts.

Air and minds polluted.

London is burning.

Gloria Ede

11

Page 16: City Shades

Londonby

JJ BOLA

“London, listen as she breathes…”

12

Page 17: City Shades

Listen as she breathes

London.

Listen as she breathes,

This city.

It makes promises in the form of dreams

And keeps them in places that are hard to see.

On street corners and pavement slopes,

Pockets full of hope, a kaleidoscope of emotion

Trickles

Down

A gutter.

A rainbow appears,

It’s raining,

But that is not new here.

It rains fears and regret,

Nights out that we’d rather forget,

Sweat swept from nervous foreheads

Where secrets are better kept,

Secret.

Here lies spread like wild fire,

But what of truth, what truth do we speak of?

We keep our upper lip stiff, say nothing so nobody listens,

Think quick, people shine, but their minds don’t glisten,

So fifteen minutes isn’t a long enough time,

But we each want our claim to fame.

Page 18: City Shades

The smoke covers the window panes and mirrors

So we don’t see ourselves clearly,

Our reflection is but a memory

A fading imagine of what we once used to be

Lovers,

Livers of life,

Before we gave it up for the mundane.

But do you remember the days

When we’d reach the top of the climbing frame

And feel like we had just conquered Everest.

The days when we would speak our hearts,

Without being drunk on beverages.

The days when we believed,

In ourselves,

In each other.

The city lights sparkle,

Like a beautiful woman’s eyes

London always leaves me breathless,

There is a peace that slips through my fingers

And gets buried in the ground.

One day, when love will pour down,

I hope we would have all found

What we’ve been looking for.

JJ Bola

Page 19: City Shades

London lonelyby

Errol McGlashan

“This one’s for the London lonely...”

15

Page 20: City Shades

This one’s for the London Lonely

For those who aint got a one and only

Whose hearts have no home

And so they roam

Along the South Bank

Staggered file and rank

Eyes cast down damp

This is for those who don’t do eye contact

Cos when they do you feel under attack

by sadness caused their delusions of lack

Dotted around da city

In their dozens and hundreds

This one’s for the lonely Londoners

The West End wanderers

The Soho stumblers

Chat up lines on pieces of paper

Conversation starters to be used for later

This one’s for the hesitaters

The social life procrastinators

Say it straight “let’s make it a date

Don’t hesitate

When you hesitate

You seal your fate

He who hesitates

Masturbates

Page 21: City Shades

This is for those who daily delete their internet history

Who whether they’ve ever even had a love life is a mystery

This one’s for the London lonely

Those who feel they are the one and only

Who has ever felt the way they do

Who never thought it would ever come to this

Theyre the romance bumblers

The love song mumblers

This one’s for the lonely Londoners

So steeped in solitude

Save the cat at home

But they hardly ever speak

Cos the cats got their tongue

This is for those whose minds

Aint so sound

(Or maybe they are and we just aint come around)

Who wander around

Up and down

They go back and forth

And forth and back

On oyster topped up with a couple of pound

Down the London lonely underground

On the circle line they go round and round. . . and round

This is for those who mind the gap

This is for the night bus insomniacs

This is for those who often hear

Excuse me this bus terminates here

Page 22: City Shades

This is for those on the ledge looking down

And seeing nothing but murky grey and brown

This is for those who feel they don’t belong

Who dine alone whilst they hunger

Attempt to plunder

The depths of their disconnection

Their delusion of loneliness

What they need to know is this

All is well nothing is amiss

But when you tell em this

Their teeth they kiss

So youre going to see an exhibition at the Tate Modern

Invited by that person you fancy like rotten

Got a table booked at WagaMamas for eight

There you’ll meet some friends

Cos theres a birthday to celebrate

You got places to see and people to do

Well this aint for you

This is for the London Lonely

For those who aint got a one and only

Whose hearts have no home

And so they roam.

Errol McGlashan

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If you like City shades, you may also like:

‘My Love’

‘Who am I?’

‘A Poet’s soul’

‘Words I never said’

‘My Love 2’

‘Another point of view’

All available at Wordjar.com

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