Inspiration Integrated

Integrated
Inspiration
An anthology of poetry inspired by
The Manchester Museum collection
Integrated Inspiration is an anthology of poetry written during a
creative writing course held at The Manchester Museum.
It celebrates the poetic creativity of a group of local people
interested in wellbeing who worked together with the Museum
and nationally acclaimed poet Chanje Kunda over nine weeks.
Inspired by the objects they found in the Museum they created a
collection of poems exploring history, their experience of life and
the world around us.
The project was established by the Museum in collaboration with
Lime Arts and funded through Renaissance North West as part of
the Who Cares? programme looking at the role of museums and
galleries in improving health and wellbeing.
Integrated
Inspiration
Group Poems
My Living Culture Poems
11
Stolen Empire
2
The Expert’s Zeal
12
Short Lived
2
Untitled
12
Footprints
3
Crystal Clear
13
Dance
3
The Soul of Coal
14
A Wonderful World
4
Stan
14
Path less Travelled
4
Iron Rock Formation
15
Scarab Poem
5
I am a Leaf
15
Excavation
5
Untitled
16
Hidden Lion
16
Mammal Biology
17
Individual Poems
Cash Cow
6
Invertebrates Teach
18
Money Talks
6
Phoenix from the Flames
18
Katanga Cross
7
Always in my Mind
19
The Warrior
7
What’s it all about!
19
Reasons for the Seasons
8
Angry
20
Taken for Granted
9
Bang, Bang, Bang
21
Trees
10
Herbal
10
The Poets
Back cover
1
group poems
Stolen Empire
The world is so large but who is in charge
The British Empire like an army of vultures
Ransacked and brought back riches from other cultures
Carved ivory tusks, daggers lined with sharks teeth
And delicacies of crocodile meat
The years have passed and now we see
How these people lived so naturally
Things made from wood, things made from leaves
Armour made from coconuts found on trees
Palm oil that lubricates
African drums that vibrate
Nations of the world decorate themselves with colours of the earth
Masks that celebrate women because they give birth
Spicy smells and cowri shells
This museum, story tells.
Short Lived
You can fear me, love me or hate me
I’m an individual, not particularly special
Jump into my world of metamorphosis
Watch me walk, or swim, then fly
I can hide my beauty through the power of camouflage
My life is a buzz, I have wings
I can be big as a bird or microscopic
I live life to the full
My days are numbered
2
Footprints
Amber, a crust from the sunshine falls below
Transparency lets us see inside
Life suspended in Marmalade
A sharp shark’s tooth three times bigger than a great white’s
Time preserved me, I’m still as beautiful as a rock
Black smooth but rough edges
A fossil fish on a bed of stone
Tail like a diver’s flipper
Tiny black fragment of a dinosaur egg shell
Grey groovy spirals of an ammonite
Leaving footprints that remain
Dance
A peacock’s feathers dazzle like jewels
A blue green ocean goes as far and wide as the eye can see
Longing for freedom, prepare for flight
Blue birds on trees whistle a song
A long narrow green garden
Pistachio nuts, a confident squirrel searching for food
Eggs hatch a future of hopes and dreams
Passion blazes like the colours in the sunrise
Shimmering feathers dangle from the poet’s ears
An erotic kiss frees us from our earth bound prison
Dance
3
group poems
A Wonderful World
Like a McDonalds cheeseburger, I’m upbeat and ready to go
The big cats are away so I feel like it’s party time
Would like to go on a rollercoaster in Blackpool
The fear and excitement makes me feel alive
Warm and flustered, I feel like a fool in love
Behind the scenes, my mind is like a herbarium
Feeling somewhat relaxed
Looking forward to everything
Bring it on!
Path less Travelled
At the beginning is darkness, like a funeral wreath
But I learnt to renew my self belief
I walked on a volunteering path
At the Museum I learnt to have a laugh
Society is a jigsaw and now I fit in
I was drowning, now I’ve learnt to swim
It’s my turn in the limelight, like a movie
I’m here to stay, don’t try to move me
The inter-personal interaction
Gives my soul some satisfaction
A sense of purpose and pride
I came along, not just for the ride
This experience expanded my mind
I never knew the light I would find
4
Scarab Poem
My ancestors are from the dawn of time
I come from a place that’s sublime
Ancient in history, ancient in mystery
I’ve walked down the valley of kings
My image is etched on rings
People fear me because I am like death
I was always around, during the last breath
From the land of the Nile
I push in style
I have amassed what you have passed
I’m black with a broad back
And I walk an endless Track
I am the Scarab
Excavation
Imagination run wild, images on a Kaleidoscope
Each object tells a story, hidden treasure
Repeated patterns and processes, stolen symbols
Can they find the missing pieces?
Empowering identity, fix the Pyramids
If you dig inside yourself, you will find your soul
5
individual poems
Cash Cow
Our Currency is no longer hard
We’re buying the world on a credit card
Easy come easy go
Til the statement arrives
We don’t need to know
Money for nothing, boom or bust
We see it on TV, so have it we must
Caveat emptor, half price in store
In money we trust, make money equals make war
Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, get rich quick
There’s money to be made and we’re living on tick
Millions are still dying with not enough to eat
I went and got that handbag, but do I deserve a treat?
Then all of a sudden, the cash cow’s dead
The money signs in her eyes have gone to her head
Right out of money, oh dear, poor cow,
Isn’t life funny, and it’s all due –now!
Jane Gilbertson
Money Talks
Some have too much
Some too little
“It makes the world go round”?
“It’s the root of all evil”?
Julia Davenport
6
Katanga Cross
This copper is from an African mine
The cross was formed by pinkish lines
The Molten metal poured into the mould
To form zebra stripes when it went cold
To use as money to barter and buy
To use as hundreds of years go by
The weight and shape may seem severe
To others it signifies cheap and dear
To buy you sustenance, maybe a wife
To keep you alive, maybe some strife
Jim Owen
The Warrior
I wish I lived near the tram station
I wish I had a car
I wish I had enough money to buy a car
I wish I wasn’t on incapacity benefit
I wish I had a job
My obstacles are the recession
The stream of people in competition with me
I am the slave forced to fight the gladiator
I am like the lamb in the lion’s den
Like the underdog, I won’t give up
I am a volunteer, I am a student
I am loved, I am a warrior
I won’t give up
Julia Davenport
7
individual poems
Reasons for the Seasons
Daffodils sway in the early spring
Partners with the primroses doing their thing
Apple blossoms like a white virgin bride
Cherry trees burst out pink with pride
Then petals fall onto the ground
Like confetti coloured snow lying all around
So many flowers grow here and there
Does summer not know quite what to wear?
Lazy days and daisy chains
Quiet walks down shady lanes
Just the slightest hint of breeze
Brushes the bright sun dappled trees
While insects buzz in a flower filled glade
Nature slumbers in the summer shade
But the months go by and the year draws on
Before you know it summer’s gone
As the leaves fall off and turn to brown
Mother Nature’s winding down
Conkers, acorns in a field
Her autumn fruits she starts to yield
Then the winter’s fingers come unseen
A snowy cloak covers the green
The plants wrap up all nice and tight
Against its cold and icy might
The sky seems bleak, the trees are bare
But though it’s hidden, life’s still there
Mother Nature’s endless toil
Goes on beneath the frozen soil
Daffodils wait to come back through
And then spring will begin a new
Jane Gilbertson
8
Taken for Granted
We are a big family,
We live on the ground,
But we don’t make a sound.
We have seeds, stem and leaves,
And we sometimes grow on trees.
We have many names,
But we don’t play games.
We create spices for your food,
Fruit for cakes and ice cream,
And herbs for your mood,
Leaves for your tea,
And beans for your coffee,
Cane for your sugar,
And flowers for your mother,
Wheat for your bread,
And medicine for your head,
Cocoa for your chocolate
And cotton for your clothes,
Fragrances for perfume
Like Lavender and rose.
Although you see us in the supermarket
In packages with labels,
We’re there because we were planted,
So don’t take us for granted,
We are the family of plants.
Julia Davenport
9
individual poems
Trees
Green leaves cling on
Failing to fall asunder
Emerging from earth
Growing imperceptibly stronger
The wind blows
Tree arms flutter
Illumination from street light near
I sit and gaze in wonder
On oft’ waking from nightly slumber
What it is about them that please?
I love to look at them and think
We are like trees
Sam Parker
Herbal
I’m a natural sedative
So I can relax you,
I make a cup of tea
Taste fresh, and caffeine free,
I come from a flower
Of yellow and white,
I can make your hair shine
And help you sleep at night,
When you’ve had a bad day,
I will make you calm again
And give you back your smile,
Have you guessed who I am yet?
My name is Camomile.
Julia Davenport
10
My Living Culture Poems
Implement
Rough edges of the cold stone axe
From the Caribbean and rough under my fingers
Hard, ancient, the shape made perfectly to fit my hands
Designed to be held, like my cool, strong lover
Implement two
Axe, mortar, for grinding, Tell me your story
Your weight so heavy in my arms, dragging me down
I feel your history, you were once warm
Under the Caribbean sun, now warming as I touch you
Leg Ornament
Coils spinning round and round
In a spiral of majesty, to adorn
Heavy, of weight in society, beautiful
Spirals, a black and gold galaxy made bronze
Curls around long ebony legs
Woman’s Armlet
Tightly curled armlet
As tightly curled as a dense afro
Twists and turns of our heritage
Curved space, round and round
Like a tunnel of love...
Chanje Kunda
11
individual poems
The Expert’s Zeal
I’m a convert
Fond of insects
Fascinated with
and by our shared
World
Gems, stones,
mineral deposits
Charmed and excited
Not only me
All the faces
Around shone
with a childlike glee
So a point?
Whether one loves
a thing or loathes it
Cares or not cares
On a scale of 1 to 10
Somewhere between
Is a joy to have something explained
With an expert’s zeal
Kerry Wilson
Untitled
Like land and seas and bees
born through nature like plants and trees
Growing from the ground
Reaching all around
Nurtured through the seasons
Used for different reasons
Terry Corbett
12
Crystal Clear
We began as mountains
And ended up as rocks,
You can dig for us at quarries
Or buy us in shops.
We’ve lived here since the dawn of time
So we’re very old,
We’re hard, strong and solid,
We’re in many colours, shapes and sizes,
And we have many names,
We’re all individuals, and yet
We’re all the same.
We were born in nature’s garden,
But over time we will harden.
We are Rose, Clear and Smoky quartz,
We are Blue Lace Agate,
We are Sodalite,
We are Malachite,
We are Aventurine and Citrine.
We see Angels in the Rainbow,
And Demons in the Volcano.
We hear, Crystal Clear,
Thunder clapping,
Wind howling,
Waves lapping.
We began as mountains,
And ended up as rocks.
Julia Davenport
13
individual poems
The Soul of Coal
A lump of coal, black plastic shine
Hidden away, until man learned to mine
When lit it burns, with a bright leaping flame
If we hadn’t found you, would our world be the same?
Could it not be beautiful all by itself?
Yet you never see coal decorating a shelf
Then in the heart of the earth, where it’s dark as night
Coal turns into a gem, sparkling and bright
It’s mined by those in greatest need
And worn as a sign of mankind’s greed
The sort of thing we all adore
And if we have then we want more
A strange idea, it seems to me
Coal’s made of carbon, so are we
Jane Gilbertson
Stan
I’m fearless and I’m a predator
I like to hunt whatever the weather
My sense of smell and sight are quite acute
I will eat you whoever you are, I’m a brute
I lived over 65 million years ago, so I’m old
I grow to 12 metres and 5 tonnes, so I’m bold,
My teeth are razor sharp
My skin was scaly, tough and dark
My eyes are large just like Godzilla
Come and see me at The Manchester Museum
I’m the T.Rex.
Julia Davenport
14
Iron Rock Formation
I symbolise the four seasons of the world
When you hold me I am very heavy
So I need your strong hands to hold me close
I should be cherished with your love
As I am older than any ancestor
I am icy cold like a block of ice
But I am special and will give you a warm heart
Being handled is my life
If I wasn’t picked up by you
my life would have no purpose
I am printed with all your finger prints
as solid as ground, I come from a rock,
I feel like I was made by bursting volcanoes
I am proud like women when they wear their jewellery
As I have lines of red and gold and black
I am filled with iron so I am strong like Popeye
I am Australian, I am billions of years old
So please don’t drop me, I’ll shatter and be lost forever
Charlie Gooding
I am a Leaf
I am a leaf
From nearby tree fallen
Autumn wind blows
Causing my downfall
I will arise again
When season warms
Sam Parker
15
individual poems
Untitled
I start off as an ugly little thing
I hide under the leaves
From the hustle and bustle
Once I am fat and juicy
I hibernate from my brothers and sisters
My skin rots bare
I have a colour change
Don’t be afraid
Then the day comes
When the sun shines
This is when I form
Into a butterfly
My colours are spontaneous
But life is good
Rameeza Mehmud
Hidden Lion
I am a Leo
Strong and brave
Each year on my birthday
I learn how to accept the ones I hate
I am a Leo
Strong and brave
I can fight my fears but be a true friend
I am a Leo
Strong and brave
I won’t live forever but my name will be known always
I am a Leo!!!
Rameeza Mehmud
16
Mammal Biology
We are hot blooded, warm blooded
Warm to the touch is who we are
Red in our veins, red for passion
Like hot coals in fire spreading warmth
Red sunset running through our veins
The skeleton inside us holds our secrets
Marrow fleshy inside bones that are strong
Bones that let us hold our heads up
And extend our arms and our reach
Vertebra that can bend, curl, arch and contract
Legs that dance, and leap and climb
We are strong inside like bone
Nervous system sending signals, messages
We have an electric current rippling through us
A pulse, a beat, we are music
Expansion of our lungs to breath in life
Oxygen, our friend that enters us
Even in our sleep
Teeth, we have bite, are sharp
Can grind, can sink into fruit
To release the juice
Digesting, breaking down
Releasing goodness
Reproduction is sacred, life giving
Is a choice, reproduction is creation
And I birth poems
Skin is velvet, sometimes hairy
Like coconut or prickly like kiwi
Sometimes smooth and tight as a drum
A mammal, we are a gallery
Chanje Kunda
17
individual poems
Invertebrates Teach
Nature discoveries, a whole new world
Many splendid mysteries
Sea shells fan shaped, grooves like the blues
Starfish, limbs all splayed
Making a pattern with its body
Showing off its magnificent shape
It is proud, inspires us to be open
Crabs armour, young warriors
Fast and fearless, tough on the outside
But beautifully soft and salty on the inside
Invertebrates of the sea teach me to swim life
Let life wash over me, get carried away with the tide
Go deep…
Chanje Kunda
Always in my Mind
Disappearing towns in Africa, villages gone
Faras, Halfa, Abu Sembel
Shrinking rivers, evaporated dreams
Creating lakes of future and hope in their minds
The people leaving their land
It is like leaving your mother
It’s like leaving your heart
The museums of the world hold the picture and stories
Of disappearing towns and villages
So let us get it out, to remember the feeling
Of the people who lost their mother
And their heart
Fadly Shenouda
18
Phoenix from the Flames
Searching for happiness
Is the journey I have chosen for myself
It may be a chalking but
Like the wind I can be free
The world is my Oyster
Like a bird I will fly
Through the seven seas
I will swim like a fish
The sadness in my life
Will not last always
One day I will be colourful
Like a peacock my feathers will shine
A curse has been wished upon my soul
I know I have done nothing wrong
Through thick and thin I will fight
The past, the present, the future,
All I have is vital
My friend I am here to stay
Don’t be afraid I can be trusted
Rameeza Mehmud
What’s it all about!
What’s it all about
I hear myself say again
Listening more than before
Changed, have become more serious
What’s it all about!
Looking around....
Mind is drifting, cough
Cough, find it hard to breath
Water, need to drink
Talk is muffled, unclear
Maybe that was the problem
Who knows
Alan Finch
19
individual poems
Angry
I was angry last night and I woke up angry this morning
I am an Aries - he a Capricorn, a ram and a goat butting heads
All the sniping and the message still didn’t get through
I am just going to have to change the things that need changing
And see if he’s still there at the end
If we are so in love, why are we so insecure?
In bed next to him - making small talk so the arguing would stop
The blame game again. I hate being angry
He said “remember I love you” before I left
Coming here is a break, it clears the air
Depression and negativity whirl around us like a storm
Will our love be a way out?
Like a lighthouse showing us a passage through the darkness
He looks for the answer in the cards, I look inside my heart
I don’t want to lose him, he’s far too precious
But I need to lead my own life and follow my true path
I think he’ll understand in the end
Jane Gilbertson
20
Bang, Bang, Bang
Bang, Bang, Bang
Here we go again
A new day
Just like the last
Ever since my new neighbours arrived
Bang, Bang, Bang
At first related to D.I.Y.
And new flat fittings and furniture
It’s gone on a while now
What can I do
Bang, Bang, Bang
I retaliate to no result
I’ve seen the powers that be
They say nice words
I give my ideas
How much can I take
Bang, Bang, Bang
Sam Parker
21
The Poets
Julia Davenport
Fadly Shenouda
I contributed to this book because I
love writing, and I wanted to
empower and encourage people
who don’t normally visit museums,
to see that museums are for
everyone.
I look at the Museum as
integration, integrating culture and
histories. Gives me the knowledge,
where is my tree, where are
branches, gives pride where I am in
this tree. By learning all of this it
shows the world is from one pot.
Alan Finch
For me it was an opportunity for
young and old to embark on a
journey of expression and
discovery.
Charlie Gooding
I am pleased with this collection of
inspiring and beautiful poems. I
dedicate my poems to my family.
Rameeza Mehmud
I feel writing is important as
through my writing I hope to
breakdown prejudice about my
disability. I see writing as a form of
self expression. I hope you enjoy
my poems.
Sam Parker
My tours and explorations of the
museum stores have developed my
ability and confidence in creating
poetic works. This has increased my
enjoyment and desire to be more
creative in my writing.
Jane Gilbertson
I have started writing again after a
long period of depression and poor
mental health. I have found the
course a wonderful opportunity to
meet other people with similar
interests and to increase my self
confidence. I very much hope other
projects like this will be possible in
the future.
Chanje Kunda
Chanje Kunda is a poet, playwright
and performance artist, of Zambian
origin based in Manchester. Her
performances combine poetry with
music and movement to give the
audience an aural and visual
rollercoaster ride. She has
performed at Rise London Unite
Music Festival, Calabash Literature
Festival Jamaica and the Royal
Exchange Theatre Manchester. She
has a collection of poetry entitled
Afrique Like Me and has been
published in many anthologies. A
second book is in production
entitled A Passionate Storm.