WestEustonPurplePoets A Poets Calendar Capital Age Festival February 8th 2007 London City Hall CAPITAL AGE FESTVAL RESERVED FOR PURPLE POETS Eppie Caredda Patsy Futatsugi Serajul Islam Molla Carol Moon Kathy Randle [Babushka] [Bithi Das] [Jean Watt] poetry tutor: Kim Morrissey © resides with the author. All rights reserved. READING: KIM INTRODUCES THE GROUP AND READS BABUSHKA'S POEM [extract]: COMMUNITY: (For the Third Age Project and West EustonTime Bank) by Babushka 06.07.2006 The talented people of Munster Square Are gentle and generous And really do care About each other Come just as you are, for you'll be accepted The welcome's sincere, The smiles unaffected. It's never too late to learn a new skill Have fun with whatever appeals to you. Maybe crafts or belly-dancing would fit the bill! Try something you never could do! Which culture is friendship? What colour is laughter? We're one family And we learn from each other. KIM READS JEAN'S POEM: WATT DID YOU SAY by Jean Watt 04.05.2006 What's your name? Yes that's it! You said it. Pardon what's your name? They think I haven't heard. Jean Watt I spell it out. Oh yes I see: ha! ha! I've been called Pot Watt! Watt Pot. Wot no what! --- And Watty Which isn't quite so bad. KIM READS BITHI'S POEM [extract]: MY JOURNEY TO PAKISTAN by Bithi Das 20.07.2006 Pakistan. Do you know the meaning of it? The land of Purity. It was one of my dreams To come to see the land Where Alexander's tired soldiers broke Their journey to settle in the Beautiful valley called Kalash. There is a place Where Chinzis Khan's descendants Still live in their mongolian look. It is history and I wanted To see it. Yes, it is the land of Purity where You will find from children to old waiting To greet you with their joyful voice. No crime, no robbery, poor but Honest people every where. At the end, it just came in my mind These words - VINI VIDI VICI We came, we saw and we were conquered By the heart of the people. ISLAM READS: THE CAPTAIN By Serajul Islam Molla I remember my school days Days of war-torn Bays in the countryside We heard the Military Parade -- Left, Right, Left - We felt every step Pounding in the heart. 'Who goes there,' shouted the Guard I said Captain of Local School, Sir 'Captain -- there is only one Captain here We can't have two captains. ' But I am the Captain of the School. Here comes the real Captain and Asked my name - Islam is my name I said Islam that's the Religion not a name I can ask the Head Teacher To come and give evidence … He does not need evidence any more Come in and have tea and cakes with me The other children flew away To school to report the incident Came along the head and other teachers From that day we were friends To the Army Barrack KATHY READS: MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD by Kathy Randle I remember the smells, the yells, And the street calls Of the cat's meat man And the winkle-and-cockle woman. These were regular noises In our cul-de-sac Of tenement houses In Chalk Farm. Three families shared our house "Auntie" Dora and her cats on the ground. Mum and I in one room On the second. And the Ciconies on the top. We all got on OK, But the 6 kids plus Mum and Dad Were always shouting in Italian. Summer was great in our street Only the odd horse-and-cart came by; And the barrel organ and the monkey. The whole street was ours for fun and games Rolling old tyres up and down; Hop-scotch, whip and top, marbles, Flicking cigarette cards and Snakes and ladders on the pavement, You could move from house to house Enjoying the games, nearly as good As Hampstead Heath Fair! But no money needed. When I pass it on the bus All that is left are the memories. Our street bombed, High-rise flats there now No more street games. Anywhere. PATSY READS: THE LADIES IN SAREES By Patsy Futatsugi [written in anticipation of her first trip to India] I want to see all those colours Of the ladies' sarees As they bathe in the sea Sarees swirling around I want to see old ladies collecting Dung from sacred cows To use to keep their floors clean Wearing sarees brighter than any colour I've seen I'll be seeing ladies in sarees swimming I'll be seeing sacred cows I'll be seeing lady builders building I'll be wearing sarees too. EPPIE READS: MY FIRST VISIT TO MY PARISH CHURCH IN OGLE STREET by Eppie Caredda Here in this parish church There came comforting thought Someone is here whose love My spirit bought. Here in this parish church He bade me stay awhile And rest from my daily work And trials in my life. Here in this parish church, Love-filled I did rejoice; And listen To his tender voice Here in this parish church He said when will you start - When will you give me - All your heart? CAROL READS: 'HOW DID YOU DO IT MR. WILBERFORCE?' Carol Moon October 2006 EVERYONE READS "THE STREAM " (A COMMUNAL POEM WRITTEN BY THE GROUP] THE STREAM (by the West Euston Time Bank Purple Poets) EPPIE READS: Our Time Bank Project flows Washing away the old obstacles: Sadness, prejudice, poverty, despair CAROL READS: Like a stream we flow together Gathering our friends as we go Mary Nora Kathy and Flo PATSY READS: Streams flowing into streams Like our lives have flown Into deeper waters, refreshing, warm KATHY READS: Collecting friends and sharing thoughts Laughing, loving, being happy Remembering joy ISLAM READS: We are the guardians We are the sentries We are the protectors EVERYONE: We are the stream. This event was sponsored by the London Older People's Strategy Group. LOPSG's fifth annual Capital Age Summer Festival will be taking place on the South Bank on Sunday 19 August 2007. For more information go to:  http://www.capitalagefestival..org.uk more WestEustonPurplePoets This is an educational site. © resides with the author. All rights reserved. West Euston Purple Poets Writer-in-Residence Kim Morrissey For permission to use any of this material please contact the West Euston Time Bank. London Time Banks are supported by The Community Fund, the Association of London Government, the King's Fund and Bridge House Estates Trust