Take heed from my friend who’s no more…

Kate believed she had fat legs and tummy
How I wish I could see through her eyes
She refused to eat food of the choicest cuisines
It’s her mirror that’s telling her lies.

“Please listen to me” I once pleaded
“You must stop this sick bodily harm”
But still she was sure that she was overweight
While my pen was compared to her arm

A few months have now passed and she’s haggard
Her school jumper engulfs her thin frame
She’s grown slimmer and weaker but now she is ill
And the doctor said Kate is to blame

On that Sunday news came from Kate’s mother
The news changed the course of my whole day
All I could do was to lay down and cry, mourning
My best friend Kate has just passed away

So I say to all girls who are out there
Take care of yourself it’s not a chore
Please don’t go down that path it’ll only kill you
And Take heed from my friend who’s no more

Ballad of Stockholm

He got put in a land of obsession
Was a boy who was taken from love
He was taken from warmth, he was taken from joy
Yet he felt all at peace like a dove

Twas a man who was desperate like most men
For an offspring who'd make him feel proud
He would love, he would care he would make sure he's there
Yet to take one was just not allowed

As he rushed through his hall with the baby
He already felt like going back
Twas a look in his eye, saw the baby just smile
Was his frown which did proceed to crack

Was the baby that gripped to his torso
He looked down saw the grin, saw the heart
It was right then he knew just what he had to do
He realised that he'd have to part

He was put in a land of obseesion
With illegitamate loving and care
He was glad to depart from his god awful mum
He would take any love going spare.

A Ballad of Hating To Love

She loved him like ice - Her heart would just melt
She didn't know her heart was to break
All those times she'd been hit with his belt
How much more of this was this young girl to take?

All this abuse and hurt was plain to see
A rollercoaster of love - all in her mind
He didn't love her but for her money
What made her think that he was once kind?

One day it all happened... So harsh and cold
He took out his knife and reach for her purse
She would get hurt - so she had been told
Would this of her lifetime be that one hurtful curse?

She screamed for dear life... pleaded to him
He didn't listen... it was just but a game
she cried and cried: "Please stop this Jim!"
He coldly replied: "You are to blame!"

So this one night she crept up to his room
no longer could she even think to pretend
All that was left was the scent of her purfume
Her heart was now permanently unable to mend

a ballad of hope and freedom

There was up high for no one to see
A cage within freedom was bound,
Down below was a mother who prayed
For it to break free and come down.

Outside her door there was a vengeful city
In there was guilt and childhood as one
She had nowhere to run and could not hide from sorrow
So she cried up to freedom, it’d gone.

Why wont you set me free lord just show me
What life should be like, even prevail
If war was peace and peace was war, what would I have?
It seems love is of no ones avail.

It seemed now that in this age of love hate
That the latter had now won, and it seems
That it always will do, “Satan has stolen me”
At that moment a bright light beamed.

Please do not fear, your worries will be gone
Freedom had broken from its very cage
But you wouldn’t grant freedom entry, it flew away
Never seen again, twisted with age.

Parts of me...

Part of me is sociable - the lies just ebb and flow
Part of me's negotiable- though most times it's a NO
Part of me is grinning- though I'm partial to a frown
Part of me's beginning- I'm already slowing down
Part of me's a big head- I need to be deflated
Part of me's quite well read- though my knowledge's rather dated
Part of me protests too much- I'll argue til I die
Part of me doth prefer Hutch- cos Stiller's rather dry
Part of me is childlike- will I ever grow?
And part me has got a plan
But most of me's for show

Part of me likes fruit and veg- fried with a Mars Bar
Part of me's on the edge- dont look down its rather far
Part of me is academic- P.P.E , at Ox(ford)
Part of me's without a blemish- due to the Botox
Part of me does like to rock-though not the climbing kind
Part of wont watch the clock-I'm always left behind
Part of me is on my own- wont see me take the fall
Part of me will never groan - my patience will enthral
Part of me is syllopsism- sub- concious ebb and flow
And part of has criticism
but most of me's for show

A Ballad of Time

Is it time that may choose what we do now,
For it runs on that very fine line?
Have you questioned the life that you fend for today,
Or do you lead this life just with signs?

With my hand on my watch I stare timing,
Those small seconds as breath leaves her lungs.
As those strangers pass by mouths ajar and appalled,
A girl only fifteen had died young.

How could days bring such hell in between lives so gracious?
It is fate that shows signs that should warn.
Should our lives be mixed up like ideas in dreams,
Should our deaths seem a shock or adorn?

See that moving red image which swifts past your eyes now,
Who'd of known what that haste could escort?
In that moment of chance his bike crossed it's vast path,
What you thought was a game's none the sort.

It's time the clock won it's last victim.
Time I walked on that day to commit,
Towards a point onwards where nothing exists,
I have walked to a place where times sit.

A ballad of a Mother’s love

The corrupt war has finally come here
You cannot get away from it all
The brutality, bloodshed are side effects here
I cannot let you suffer so small

My admirable baby boy Edward
With your chasteness and innocent eyes
When you smiles my great heart jumps and leaps in the joy
That you are only my little prize

For you to have to brave this atrocity
Brings huge sadness to my beating heart
To have childhood snatched violently from your grasp<
I will never let you have this part

However to release you from this pain
I would have to take your vulnerable life
Don’t worry we’ll be reunited in heaven again
Without all this stress and this strife

The arduous deed is finally done now
At last, you are belatedly free
To roam around in happiness and without any sorrow
And to be there to watch over me

PART of me

Part of me is really hype – I smile but do not laugh
Part of me is the nice type – that’s why I don’t have staff
Part of me is lonely – I have no friends at all
Part of me is only – only the one that’s tall
Part of me is success – I try but don’t achieve
Part of me is a mess – I don’t cry but I grieve
Part of me just wants love – but ends up getting hate
Part of me wants a glove – to hide a hand which holds fait

Task 10: A ballad

A ballad is a type of poem which tells a simple story, often with a mixture of action and dialogue, according to a strong and catchy rhythm and rhyme. Ballads often have a refrain (or chorus) and are often set to music.

For your summer holiday task, I would like you to write me a BALLAD.

First of all, you need to think of a simple story. It can be one you know already, or you can make it up - but just don't make it too complicated.

Now you can write the ballad. I would like it to be five quatrains (i.e. four-line stanzas) in length, according to the following rhythm and rhyme:

Each stanza should adhere to a strict and strong RHYME:

• Stanza 1 = abcb
• Stanza 2 = defe
• Stanza 3 = ghih
• Stanza 4 = jklk
• Stanza 5 = mnon

Each stanza should follow the following RHYTHM:

• Line 1: (U)U/UU/UU/U
• Line 2: (U)U/UU/UU/
• Line 3: (U)U/UU/UU/UU/
• Line 4: (U)U/UU/UU/

(Notice how, in each line, the first unstressed syllable is optional.)

Before starting to write the poem, you must try to get this rhythm INTO YOUR BRAIN so deeply that it is irritating and annoying beyond belief.

• dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum dee
• dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum
• dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum
• dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum dee-dee-dum

Keep saying this - aloud and in your head - until it is like one of those annoying advertising jingles that you can't get rid of however hard you try.

If you are musically trained, think of this rhythm as being 3/4; if you are more of a dancer, think of this like a waltz.

Now look at my two attempts...

The first is a rather weird story about a world overcome by hate which is saved at the very end by the love of a young child. I guess it could have religious significance (i.e. you could read the son as Christ-like), but I don't think I intended that at the time. You could also read the first four stanzas as being BEFORE the birth, with him only actually BORN in stanza five.

To be honest, I didn't really have a clear idea when I started. I thought of the opening couplet and took it from there - with the rhythm and rhyme as my guide throughout. Here it is:

The Ballad of Love and Hate

He was born to a mother who loved him,
But a father who wished he was dead,
In a land where to love was a capital crime -
So she sheltered him under her bed.

He was fed under cover of darkness,
And she weaned him in stygian* gloom.
He first started to crawl in caliginous* night;
His first steps trod a tenebrous* room.

She locked all the doors when she kissed him,
And in secrecy cuddled him tight.
While the armies of hate drove the sun from the sky,
She cocooned her small casket of light.

Then one day when the land choked in shadow
And all hope had been vanquished by hate,
She looked deep in the flame of his eyes and she knew
He could no longer fend off his fate.

And without any word to his mother,
He stood and emerged from his womb,
And he razed the battalions of hate to the ground
With a love that no force could consume.

* You can see that I've been busy with my thesaurus here, to find synonyms for 'dark'. I wanted to stress the extent of the darkness in this stanza, and so I needed as many words as possible to express this. However, whenever you use a thesaurus, ALWAYS check the new words in a dictionary before you use them, just to make sure they mean what you want them to.

For my second attempt, I decided to start with something far simpler and more mundane: FOOTBALL. I thought of the idea of an arrogant, vain football star who was put on the substitute bench for the first time, causing him so much shame and distress that he loses control. He beats up his coach, scares the rest of the team from the field, and then steals the ball before running away altogether.

I guess it is an exercise in the sort of immense egomania that celebrity status can breed - and the difficulty which comes when fame fades. And, again, it was the rhythm and rhyme which controlled me throughout:

The Ballad of the Footballer's Revenge

He believed he had feet made of magic,
As he conjured the ball in the goal,
But to find himself here on the substitute bench
Spawned a sorrow too sad to console.

"Tell me why did the coach choose to drop me?
And why didn't my teammates protest?
I cannot understand how they think they can cope
When the world knows that I am the best."

He detested the role of spectator;
He was destined to play not to watch.
So he leapt from the bench, knocked his coach to the ground
And then booted him hard in the crotch.

"That'll teach you to dare to ignore me!
Don't you realise what you have done?
I refuse to be kept from the beautiful game:
I am going to join in the fun."

As he charged for the ball, all the players
Were so scared that they fled to the stands.
Then he ran from the ground, disappearing from sight,
With the muddy ball safe in his hands.

Right. Now it's your turn. See what you come up with. And I am kind of HOPING that some of you will choose to produce more than one. After your first attempt, why not come back a week or so later and try a totally different one. You should find it easier with each attempt - and you should find they get better and better too! You could also experiment with a chorus/refrain in one of your attempts too if you wanted to.

Good luck! (And have fun!)

Part Of Me...

Part of me is dead-no pulse or warmth inside
part of me is unread-for that part i have cryed
part of me is broken-scattered pieces of abuse
part of me is a token-Null and Void and out of use
part of me is a bird-willing to soar away
part of me is unheard-just a voice without a say
part of me is beautiful-or so I like to think
part of me is mutual
But most of me is off the brink

Part of me is a Prisoner-no freedom or room to grow
part of me is lamb doner-whats in it?who the hell knows
part of me is humerous-a cover up for pain
part of me is curious-whats the secret behind the game?
part of me is high-laughing with all my friends
part of me is a lie-too broken to try and mend
part of me is being strong-before I give up and sink
part of me is a sad song
But most of me is off the brink

Me,Myself and I

Part of me is grateful-for all the things I’ve got

Part of me is hateful- for whom I’m naming not

Part of me is cheerful-I find happiness everywhere

Part of me is watchful

But most of me is elsewhere

Part of me is advisory- to all except I

Part of me is supervisory- with patience to the sky

Part of me is pretending-I’m in another sphere

Part of me is ascending

But most of me is elsewhere

Part of me is fighting –temptation and its friends

Part of me is writing – with all my lovely pens

Part of me is biased – I control what I see and hear

Part of me is focused

But most of me is elsewhere

It's me that is dead.

Part of me is going mad - I've lost all that is sane
Part of me is slightly sad - it's affecting my brain!
Part of me is confused - Don't know what's going on
Part of me is abused - Like hair in a salon
Part of me is full of fear - Wanting to run and hide
Part of me is feeling queer - A part I felt had lied
Part of me's breaking apart - Shattered into pieces
Part of me's feeling quite smart
But most of me is dead.

Part of me's a drama - just waiting for suspense
Part of me's like karma - Just all at your expense
Part of me is funny - Please just laugh at my jokes
Part of me's like honey - Yet sweet as raw egg yolks
Part of me's old dungarees - But recently just tore
And part of me's a shopping spree - unable to spend anymore
Part of me is crazy - Where's the sanity gone?
Part of me's just lazy
And most of me is dead.

Part of me is losing it - what has happened to me?
Part of me has just got it - a bit too hard to be
Part of me's just day dreaming - I like it better here
Part of me feels like screaming - is this so hard to hear?!
Part of me's like ice - Just touch me and you'll freeze
And part of me is nice - with power I can seize
Part of me's a bowling ball - forever rolling down
And part of me's a fresh fruit stall
But most of me is dead.

Part of me's defending - myself against the world
Part of me is ending - my life has just been hurled
Part of me's so quiet - You'll hear no sound at all
Part of me's a riot - Growing to be so tall

Part of me is jealous - I just want what you've got
Part of me's rebellious - Somehow, it makes me hot
Part of me's as loud as life - energetic and alive
Part of me's a puffy cloud - waiting for you to arrive
But most of me is dead.

Sentimental.

Part of me is dreaming-for one day in the light
Part of me is wanting-to study till the night
Part of me is wholesome-full of brain and thoughts
Part of me is lonesome-somehow too distraught
Part of me is timeless-watching yesterday
Part of me is lifeless-a soul that's gone astray
Part of me is hidden-behind a heart too gentle
Part of me's forbidden-
But most of me's sentimental.

Part of me is cold-like a tempest on it's way
Part of me unfolds-like one of Shakespeare's plays
Part of me is music-a bird that longs to sing
Part of me is hectic-an artist and her things
Part of me acts royal-one bossy boots at large
Part of me is loyal-I work at free of charge
Part of me remains-in each heart fundemental
Part of me complains-
But most of me's still sentimental.

Part of me's untrue-the lies they weave together
Part of me just knew-the guilt's unlike a feather
Part of me is great-everyone seems to know
Part of me is hate-the something that is 'so?'
Part of me deserves-the love I get day in
Part of me preserves-the love I get day out.
Parts of me believe-every day is crucial
Parts of me disbelieve..-
That I am sentimental.

part of me

part of me is accost-never pushed around
part of me is lost-looking to be found
part of me is a book-more than just a cover
part of me is took-but i ain't no ones lover
part of me is at its prime-top of my game
part of me is mime- and not seeking fame

part of me is here-virtual and hot

part of me is near

but most of me is not

part of me is musical-singing in the shower

part of me is simple-like soil to a flower

part of me is on fire-blazing shining bright

part of me wont tire- an will continue to fight

part of me is Einstein-big brains and great mind

part of me is a sunshine-obvious but hard to find

part of me is dull-and will probably be forgot

part of me is evil

but most of me is not

part of me is wasted-and not completely useful
part of me feels hated- but i don't want to be cruel
part of me is tense-waiting to be sprung
part of me has sense-awaiting in my lung
part of me is hidden-deep within the itself
part of me's a vilian-but only to myself
part of me is mental-am i losing the plot?
part of me is a temple
but most of me is not

part of me is fearless-Knievel in disguise
part of me is anxious-a belly full of flies
part of me is curious-to know what lies ahead
part of me is an old man-lying in his bed
part of me is crucial-to what i do not know
part of me is Google-whatever you need to know
part of me dreadful-like a itching spot
but all of me is thankful
that most of me is not

part of me

Part of me is lost-in this mad crazy world
Part of me is tossed-inside I am hurled
Part of me is forbid-from the hailstones of sin
Part of me is hid-inside my next of kin
Part of me is dead-waiting to point the blame
Part of me is ahead-of this soul waste bin
I am struggling
But I refuse all sin.

Part of me is dali- I’m utterly unique
Part of me is bashir- I have to go and leak
Part of me is Blair- I leave things in a mess
Part of me don’t care-but this you wouldn’t guess
Part of me is Kennedy- my legacy will live on
Part of me is Ingram-but id give it all to my kin
I am struggling
But I refuse all sin.

Part of me is waiting-for the ultimatum
Part of me is creating-gathering all the datum
Part of me is escaping-it doesn’t want to be here
Part of me is draping-I’ve lost all sense of steer
Part of me is rotten-waiting to hit the bin
I am struggling
But I refuse all sin.

Part of me is dealing-with the that I will die
Part of me is healing- I am not going to lie
Part of me is seeping- through the hands of faith
Part of me is weeping-I consider interfaith
Part of me is dreaming-that I will live on to tell
Part of me is meaning-to portray this life of a bin
I am struggling

But I refuse all sin

Part of me is searching - For something i cannot find
Part of me is lurching - Falling on my behind
Part of me is wary - A keen eye on my foes
Part of me's a fairy - twinkling on my toes
Part of me is evil - A devilish little girl
Part of me's a bean weevil - Just try and give me a hurl
Part of me melting - Like ice breathing fire
Part of me is total bling
But most of me's a tyre!

Parts of me are broken - Into little tiny pieces
Parts of me are unspoken - Yet confidence increases
Part of me is daring - Like breaking a rock rose
And part of me is caring - That, everyone knows!
Part of me is love - That which I have left to share
And part of me is a dove - flying around everywhere
Part of me is quiet - That part I admire
But part of me is a riot
And most of me's a tyre

Part of me is a fake - Not always being myself
Part of me is a cake - Rotting on the top shelf
Part of me is tired - Of feeling unloved
Part of me retired - When I lost my beloved
Parts of me are joyful - As hard as that may seem
Part of me's like a bull - Making people scream
Part of me has changed - Into a female white squire
Part of me's fully arranged
And most of me's made of tyre

Task 9: Part of me...

I am going to leave iambic pentameter for a few weeks now, but that does NOT mean you should all do so. Only a COUPLE of you have completely mastered it, and so the rest of you, however well you are doing and however hard you are working, will never do so unless you CONTINUE to PRACTISE. Even if you just try to write a couplet (in iambic pentameter) each day, it will gradually become easier and easier, and you will learn how to shift and alter words and syllables to make a line work.

So PLEASE do not stop writing iambic pentameter, even though the next task is something different. Mastering iambic pentameter is one of the MOST IMPORTANT English skills you can ever learn. Believe me. Keep persevering... :)

Right. On to Task 9...

* * * * * *

Step One

I would like you to read this week's Poem of the Week on the Fast Track Blog. This is a poem by the poet Matt Harvey, whom I saw performing in London last weekend. Read it carefully several times, and see if you can 'tune into' its rhythm and structure...

The basic structure of each stanza is as follows:
8 lines, each divided into 2 parts: a) (usually) 3 Feet; and b) (usually) 3 Feet. (Although he varies this sometimes, as can you.)
But the last of these lines, in each stanza, is separated on to two lines rather than one.

Most of the lines rhyme TWICE: the end of the first part of Line 1 rhymes with the end of the first part of Line 2; and the same goes for the end of the second part. So the rhyme scheme is kind of ab ab cd cd etc....

As for the FEET used (i.e. whether they are iambic, trochaic, anapestic, spondaic or whatever) you will notice there is some variety. But if you try and clap along to the poem, you will soon notice where the feet lie. If any of you are lucky enough to have a metronome at home, then use that instead; or if you have an electric keyboard, on which you can programme a simple, even beat, you could try reading in time to that instead.

This task (i.e. reading the poem out loud) will take you a good half an hour or MORE (if you are doing it properly). Don't be self-conscious - or hide away somewhere private if you are.

Step Two

When you have done Step One, ask someone else (family or friend) to read Matt Harvey's poem out loud to YOU. Listen carefully as they do so, and check to see if you can tune in to the rhythm correctly. And notice how in one stanza (deliberately, due to the subject matter) there are more lines than the others.

By now, you should have the rhythm clearly (and maybe even annoyingly) in your head. In which case you are ready to move on to...

Step Three

Part One of each line consists of a phrase beginning "Part of me is..."
Part Two of each line consists of a development of that idea; or an explanation; or an example.

The exception to this is the final couplet of each stanza, in which Part One is, as usual, a "Part of me is..." phrase. But Part Two is a motif - a repeated phrase which occurs throughout the poem and binds it all together: "But most of me is dreams". I know he adds an extra phrase in the very last line, but the idea is the same.

Look carefully at the poem and make sure you fully understand this structure. Because your success with Task 9 will DEPEND on it! :)

Step Four

Right. Now you understand the rhythm, rhyme and structure of the poem, it is time for you to draft your own. Matt Harvey's poem, as you will have realised, is about HIMSELF, and explores the many complicated (and sometimes contradictory) sides to his personality.

I would like you to write your own poem, following the same rhythm and structure as his, but about YOU and what makes YOU the person you are.

I don't mind how many stanzas you write (he wrote FIVE, but you can write anything between 2 and 6). But each stanza must*:

• have the same number of lines
• follow the same rhythm: 3 feet/3 feet (apart from the final couplet)
• follow the same rhyme scheme (for both parts of each line)
  
• follow the same structure: "Part of me..." + explanation/example/development
• finish with a motif repeated at the end of each stanza.

*I say "must", but you will soon realise that he (and I) have relaxed the rules every now and then, when we felt it necessary... :)

This is a very difficult task. Done properly, it will take you a long time. For that reason, I will give you TWO WEEKS to complete this task. I expect ALL of you to complete the task by Saturday 21st July.

As ever, this is MY attempt at the task. I've given it my own title, and you can do so too with yours:

Trying to Be

Part of me is getting lost - I look but cannot find
Part of me is tempest-tossed - and getting left behind
Part of me is wary - I find it hard to trust
Part of me is scary - and generates disgust
Part of me is so alone - without a friend at all
Part of me's on answerphone - and won't return your call
Part of me's dissolving - just watch me disappear
Part of me's evolving
But most of me is fear.

Part of me's a movie star - beloved of stage and screen
Part of me's a groovy car - in bright metallic green
Part of me demands you look - I put on quite a show
And part of me's a Sunday Times bestseller - don't you know
Part of me is there in lights - for everyone to see
And part of me has scaled the heights - I'm sure that you'll agree
Part of me is eminent - so easy to revere
But part of me just came and went
And most of me is fear.

Part of me is John and Paul - composing Abbey Road
But part of me is Oppenheimer - waiting to explode
Part of me is Spielberg - while imagining ET
But part of me is Schubert - his unfinished symphony
Part of me is Warhol - just not shocking any more
And part of me is Tolstoy - but much less peace than war
Part of me is Shakespeare - and foolish nuncle Lear
And part of me is nothing
But most of me is fear.

Part of me's pretending - I'm being someone else
Part of me is ending - the last one on the shelf
Part of me is giggling - but purely out of nerves
Part of me is wriggling - and gets what it deserves
Part of me is second best - and sadly past its prime
Part of me won't pass the test - I'm running out of time
Part of me has lost the fight - and cannot persevere
Part of me is not all right
And most of me is fear.

Robert & Gerry

ROBERT & GERRY
ROBERT- I know about you and my wife Emma
GERRY- you know? How can you know...Emma told you.....
ROBERT-well obviously who else will tell moi?
GERRY-you don’t hate me do you?
ROBERT-why would I hate you? She’s a no good useless cow
GERRY-what do you mean don’t you love her?
ROBERT-lets have a game of squash

Robert and Jerry

The Setting- Robert and Emmas house


Jerry- The very thing your manner won't conceal?
Robert- Don't talk too much old friend dont over-step
Jerry- Low self-esteem is what your dear wife feels
Robert- Dear chap my manhood's all I've ever kept
Jerry- She senses when she's here that she's alone
Robert- I keep a very vigour-ridden home
Jerry- She dosen't put it that way on the phone
Robert- it feels to me that you have raised your tone
Jerry- Dont change the subject, please we need to talk
Robert- I've had enough of you, don't criticise
Jerry- Perhaps we should just pop out for a walk
Robert- Could play some squash, but that would not be wise
Jerry- Why not? it could be fun to lark about?
Robert- Should we not invite Emma, won't she pout?

emma and jerry

Emma: our love ,our lust was going to be a blast
Jerry: true,but all good thing must come to an end
Emma: I was seeking a love that was to last
Jerry: for me i wanted a part time girlfriend
Emma: oh,so you used me for weekend fun
Jerry: well it was more than just on the weekend
Emma: typical jerry always being so dumb
Jerry: but baby you knew it was gonna end
Emma: so our love was fake, you part time hubby
Jerry: i wasnt goin to work you knew that
Emma: i spent so long clinging to hope that maybe
Jerry: maybe id leave judith on the doormat
Emma: our love was once magical ,when we tried
Jerry: so then its fair to say the magic has died