Take Over Lit Fest 2013

TAKE OVER WAKEFIELD LIT FEST Beam has worked with a group of very talented young people from Cathedral Academy and Hemsworth Arts and Community Academy to develop their stories with professional writers Peter Spafford and James Nash on the theme of ‘Finding Your Way’.

The project, funded through the Wakefield Council Creative Partners grant, has given the young people the chance to develop their writing skills through creative process.

For more information please visit the Take Over Lit Fest Youth Team blog: litfesttakeover.wordpress.com

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A SAFER ADDICTION Shannon Batley Alcohol to coffee Drugs to cookies A rebel to saint Club to cafe An unhappy Christmas A fight for approval And a downward spiral A day in the 50's A battle for sanity And a ladder up Lost family Gained friends The same table The same seat The same order But a new life And a new world Because a smile can be born from a tear 3!

MY DEMONS Shannon Batley I’ve followed my instincts and trusted my heart But now before me my path does part For days I’ve wondered, worried and alone Yet no end has been shown I start to sing ever so quiet As the monsters around me start to riot They bay for my blood They want it so bad When it’s all over Oh how I’ll be glad When the shadows don’t move And the eyes don’t watch When the monsters don’t follow And I don’t feel hollow The excitement has faded So long have I waited Just to escape Is this what is fated Whether I live or die I will not lie I can’t wait till it ends

4!

Thomas Grace I’m nurturing my child, Holding her to me, Keeping her gentle smile to myself, For if the world saw it, She would be free.

She cannot go yet, For she still holds the key.

We had my plan, Just a little longer, Time, Like a virus, It catches on, I was so close, They didn’t know, Except him, He ruined us, How does he sleep?

We will escape.

I still lay here, Broken hearted, But how?

Can my heart be broken, When it wasn’t even, Whole to start with.

5!

IT’S TOO BAD, I’M TOO BAD Chloe Humphreys My family have abandoned me I am scared very scared.

I have nothing but a house Nothing, and I hate my life.

I wish someone could, help me.

Someone like my daughter Please just, help me I am stranded in something Something that I can’t even call a home.

Please I NEED to get better.

6!

REMEMBER THE TIMES WE WERE TOGETHER Sana Khaliq Remember the times we were together?

But you left me for them.

I always relate you to a maze.

I know I took the wrong paths and Avoided the perfect.

I am not blaming you But I’m not saying you’re innocent.

I followed you blindly Because I saw no other way.

Everything around me was fading away.

You knew I was wrong, Which is why you were never with me all along, You knew I would never be free without you, I proved you wrong and got away.

You were the Minotaur; And I would have been the prey.

The night ran past But I never saw the sunlight.

You kept me in the dark, Still I didn’t try to escape You made me the victim But I’d never let you be ashamed.

7!

“I based this poem on a picture of an innocent young boy who looked like he had gone through injustice”.

THERE ARE HUMANS – BUT NO HUMANITY Sana Khaliq His dream was incomplete, And will stay that way, He is only a kid Hasn’t learnt the ways of life Who knew his dream would cost him hard Because all he did was dreamt He wanted to be a scientist Not a sailor He wanted to make explosions Not splashes No one has the right to thrust their dreams On others shoulders like a burden Let bygones be bygones If you couldn’t do it doesn’t mean he should Selfishness and greediness has blinded humanity Reality, it is taking over Like a plague of deceit and evil In his last, lonely moments The slight breeze embraced him As the walls suffocated him And the sound of the sea tortured him If only the dead could come back alive 8!

“When I was writing this poem I had in mind everyone’s dream of being rich and famous but sometimes it just leads to defame and may be a dead-end”.

THE MAZE OF LIFE Sana Khaliq They say being high is a mans perfect dream, because they have everything, I say being high is a mans worst nightmare, because its like being abandoned on a desert I only see the sea crashing on the shore, as if it is eager to seek revenge; Rocks sharper than a sharks jaws, waiting for prey to lurk around The sun always sets, the moon always rises The heat always fades and the coldness always arrives It sent shivers up my spine, there’s no way out! Only a way in Danger surrounded me, safety abandoned me What should I do?

Where should I go?

9!

McCauly McRonald I’m in the centre of a maze, Not knowing which way to go, I am stood here silently, Worrying with sweat!

It feels like a waterfall, Splattering on my head, I can see hedges shaped as ghosts.

Still not knowing which way to go, I finally decide!

I fear I maybe concentrating where I’m going, And I trip over a stone, And bust my nose.

With nothing to wipe it with, Pints of blood is pouring out, Starving to death, I can’t even move, Another foot-step.

10!

McCauly McRonald I’m old, wrinkly and fragile.

Every hair I’ve got is grey I feel 102 years old But actually I’m 62 years old.

The shock of seeing a little boy been run over, It hurts and it won’t stop hurting, It can’t stop hurting, I’ll never forget about it.

But I have a dream, My dream is to make kids safe, And all I want is for that dream to come true.

11!

IN THE DEAD CENTRE OF A MAZE Rida Zanab In the dead centre of a maze.

Air is gradually draining out of me, Fear takes over me, But I carry on.

It’s too late to leave a trail.

The twists and turns remind of the decisions I have made till now, The dead ends are like the problems I face in my life.

I shout for help But no answer.

I’m alone I need to escape from here But which path should I take?

12!

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FINDING THE PATH A Place Of Safety There are many crossroads in life. Many choices. Do you make a move or stay where you are? Off the beaten track lie curiosity, risk, wonder, danger, the strange, the mystery, courage, excitement, independence.

Toby Hall Do I, Do I walk away, Do I walk away from the best time of my life to follow my dreams?

What, What makes, What makes me want to stay and what makes me want to go?

Why, Why should, Why should I follow my dreams, why should I stay here and now?

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If, If, If when the question is asked, when the decision is made, it is wrong?

Dreams, go, now, wrong!

The end of the sentence, the end of the line!

Dreams are to follow, to go is my fate.

Now is the present.

Wrong, it's too late.

Samantha Bolton I've always been best on my own. I'm never lonely, just alone. My room is my own piece of heaven, only explored by myself and Lady, my faithful cat. I don't like letting people in. I feel too exposed and vulnerable. But then again, I have never really met anyone worth it. That was until a few weeks ago.

We've been talking for a while now and sometimes I find myself saying a little too much. I tremble at the thought of just jumping in and making the wrong decision. That's not how I work. I sit, I think. I think again, then act. But perhaps, sometimes, it's best just to act and do the thinking later.

Bethany Pollington

14!

Off the beaten track? A rebel, a risk, a change, a chance, a challenge, an achievement, an acceptance.

Oliver Morgan Welcome, my friend, To the land of opportunities that never end.

Make your choices, raise the stakes.

Find all the fun you can have in making mistakes.

No right way to act, no right way to feel.

You may find your mask beginning to peel.

Now you've no way of hiding anymore, Time to step through that unopened door.

Timothy Ward

Lost Closed. My eyes were shut tight with no chance of opening. It took me a while but I opened my right eye a tiny bit. I realised something: I was alone. Fear took over my senses. I had no idea where I was.

Where was my family? Were they waiting at the end of it all? I was trapped in the past. No doors, no windows. No bright light to lead my way. Only a dim, flickering bulb. I suppose I had to be grateful for even the tiniest bit of help that I received.

Alex Heatley 15!

I am in a nightmare place. A place where imagination and acceptance are not available. My life like a puppet's, becoming the masterplan of someone else's showcase. My opinion neglected and overruled. I am trapped in the darkness of another's shadow with unfamiliar faces slipping away, unrecognisable.

Ella Ellis My child got lost once at the seaside and I was frantic! I found him an hour later in a hole he had dug. And that was the end of that!

Olivia Armitage He was lost, he was cold.

He was on his search for the archway of lost souls.

He needed to find it, that much was said.

He continued his search whilst everyone was in bed.

Slowly, slowly, on he goes slowly, To the archway of lost souls.

Samantha Bolton Black cars, black caps, black coats, black shoes, red roses.

Margaret Rose, you lived, you loved.

You grew up in the 'Wuthering Valley' of the gods.

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Our Cavendish Queen, I live in your awe.

Magic moments with you. I only wish we could meet on the corner again.

Wife, mother, daughter, neighbour.

We all remember your grace and charm. Granny.

Oliver Morgan

Advice For The Lost You may be lost but don't be scared. Just follow your heart. It's your northern star. Don't be afraid to trust your instincts. They will guide you through the depths of the unknown. Make mistakes and make more, because if you can't find a reason to carry on, you will never be able to find yourself.

Ella Ellis You may be lost. Don't panic. Follow your heart and you will be sure to find your way. Don't be afraid to try new paths as each one will lead to something new. And don't be afraid to ask for help. Stray from the crowd and you will be better off than the rest.

Finding the path can be the hardest part of your life, but when you eventually find it, it could be the best experience you will ever have.

Olivia Armitage

17!

Leave Sainsbury.

Leave it behind.

Head for the path, The one with the wind.

Down the road, Down the hill.

It reminds me of a story, Of Jack and Jill.

Anyway, anyway, I'm going off track.

Keep on going And don't turn back.

Go, go, go, Turn to the left.

Oh no, another hill.

Will it lead to death?

No, seriously now!

Down, down, down.

Turn, turn, turn.

You're nearly there.

A lesson you have learned...

Oh God, forgot the milk!

Samantha Bolton

18!

To get to your destination, turn right at the swirly whirly gumdrop forest and continue through the candy cane passage. Then turn left and walk up the tutti frutti steps and bounce your way through the cotton candy clouds. Once you reach the rainbow, slide and glide down the twisty twirling tornado of tan-tastic, then finally take the yellow brick road to...

Tesco!

Ella Ellis OK, so you carry on down the street until you hit the roundabout. Take the 3rd exit. You should see a big inflatable Michelin Man. After you pass him, take the first right you see. You should now be entering the Fast and Furious 9. Drive fast up the ramp, which will help you clear the Atlantic Ocean and you will land in New York on top of a great big plastic apple.

Carefully, manoeuvre yourself down the apple and into Times Square.

Toby Hall The Year 7 asks me where the Science Block is. I swallow nervously and answer with a long sigh: 'Take a right down the A61 and follow the Gummy Bear Way all the way down to the Camel Space Factory. Ask the camel for more directions. These will take you to David Cameron's Bouncy Castle and 19!

Boris Johnson who will point you towards the Maths Block. Good luck.

Jack Weller Though thorns catch your clothes and scrape your skin don't panic, never panic. Don't look back. That which you leave behind will return to you at the end, replenished and healed by time. If you see a gap in the hedge, go through. Explore. It will reunite you with your best memories. Take a moment to rest.

Feel the unfamiliar, rocky ground morph into soft mud, which you have trodden a thousand times.

Watch the thorns and nettles transform into daisies hidden in tall, lush grass. Turn your head to the sun, then look forward. The path has straightened and the end is in sight.

Bethany Pollington

Home The smell of freshly mown grass hits me in the face like a brick wall. It is gorgeous. I run behind the garage where there are crowds of thick, sharp brambles. But here are blackberries, utterly beautiful blackberries. They are like shining lights in the darkness and the brambles. I eat one. It brings a tear to my eye. All the memories of home come flooding back to me in a piece of fruit no bigger than a 20!

marble. The sweet aroma of my mother's lasagna welcomes me home like a great big hug.

Toby Hall Majorca, the calm sea. The taste of sea salt; the old, quiet towns. It's not actually my home but I feel welcome there. Then there's my real home. My house. My mum's perfume, my mum and dad's bedroom and how beautiful it is. The sound of footprints on the stairs and how I can tell who it is.

Olivia Shearon My dog barking at every high-pitched sound. The sound of my dog's paws on the laminated floor. The smell of the apple and cinnamon candle. The smell of food cooking, waiting for me at home.

Ella Ellis The sound of the wooden kitchen door, which no one ever gets around to oiling. The noise of the kettle, which seems to be boiling every five minutes.

The smell of a fresh jar of coffee. The creaking of the floorboards.

Alex Heatley In time of fear and uncertainty, there she is, her arms open and her smiling face imprinted in my memory 21!

for all of time. I run to her. As I feel her arms encompass me, a wave of happiness and warmth flood through my veins. I'm safe. She's always there, even when others aren't. It's not their fault, they try their best. Nothing in this world, known or unknown, would stop her from coming when I need her. Her door is always open if I need someone to talk to. My shoulder to cry on, my reliable rock, my protector.

Bethany Pollington It's good to be home. But maybe it's not so bad to get lost sometimes. It's good to step out of the comfort zone once in a while. And you learn how to cope better if you're ever in a similar situation again.

Alex Heatley You've been lost, and you are relieved to be home again. You're glad to see, hear, smell what is so familiar. You're home again, but being lost can show you what you should be grateful for.

Jack Weller My life: an unknown adventure waiting to be discovered. All the dreams of make-believe had me curious to the world outside my bubble. I wanted to be free and once my chance came I took the opportunity and have never regretted it.

Ella Ellis 22!

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