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“Alone through city streets packed through and through

With crowds and entertainers happily hob-nobbing

In the space between the spaces”

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Hello there and welcome to the new Pavement Poetry e-magazine!

What is Pavement Poetry? It’s poetry written by people on the side streets of society... People who maybe struggle to be heard ... who

want more than the pavements to witness their story.

All kinds of people out there have stories to tell, and this is the place where – happily - some of them are heard.

Can I encourage you to listen carefully to what you read in the pages of this magazine?

And if you are inspired by what you see and want to get in touch, do so via our facebook page – facebook.com/pavementpoetry or email

us at artseeuk@gmail.com.

Who knows? Maybe your words will end up in the next edition of Pavement

Poetry e- magazine!

Enjoy,

Christa B.L.

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On 23 April 2011, Oxford’s public space, Bonn Square, was a fusion of colour, with neon signs dangling from trees, beat poets spitting out lyrics, crowds gathering and mini eggs a-melting. It was Oxford’s very first Pavement Poetry.

The poems in this magazine are some of the poems performed to Oxford’s unassuming public.

Here’s what one audience member had to say:

“Neon coloured lightShared poetry delight

Makes me writeAnd think of what used to be

The sky still dark and greyBonn Square a dull place I dare say

Yet, none of that this lovely dayBlessed with sun, people and

Art in every tree.”

Upon Reading John..... p. 4Inspiration for Pavement Poetry

I dreamed a dream p. 5-6How Pavement Poetry came to life

The One in Ten p. 7Pavement Poem by Quintin Douglas

Within my Mind p. 8Pavement Poem by William Benn

If my brown shoes could speak p. 8Pavement Poem by Chris

Dangling Man p. 10Pavement Poem by Quintin Douglas

It’s a down day p.10 Pavement Poem by Gerry

The therapy of poetry p. 11 -12Write your mind, by Donna Willetts

Background to project p.14

Contacts p. 15Thanks and acknowledgements

“Life is not as flowing as pen over paper”Gerry

Find us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/pavementpoetry

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Humming with fools

In the madhouse

Sobered by vulnerability

The “one in ten”Who can’t afford Christmas cards

The ones who Christmas alone.

Fearlessly revealing their tales,Ordeals create poems

Potent enough to make you stagger

Hurting from experience shared.

Upon Reading John Betjeman with Mill Members

Hearts thrashedMake noisy minds

For patient social workersTo solace. Silence.

Be still, souls.

You are being heard.

We’ll write your messageOn public places

For more than pavements To observe.

By Christa B.L

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I remember calling in at the Mill on Cowley Road: one of Oxfordshire Mind’s day centres for people with long-term and enduring mental health issues. I was delighted with the welcome I received and with what I saw: a positive, loving community where people were free to be themselves, given tremendous opportunities for self-expression, and cared for by a tireless team of social workers.

The place itself inspired hope. Bright colours, comfy sofas, plants growing along the archway, and paintings covered the walls, all by members of the Mill. I realised just how much I myself had needed a little ‘head space’ for the mild depression I was going through.

Providence had it that on the day I ‘called in’ they were having a members meeting. The plan was for me to sit quietly and listen to the kinds of issues Oxfordshire Mind was dealing with, and then see if I wanted to volunteer there.

As I sat in the corner of the sofa square, one lady piped up.

“I would like to go to some kind of poetry group. We don’t have anything like that here at the moment. We have the reading group, but that’s not quite the same. I’d like to have something that was more about us expressing ourselves through writing... something particularly to do with poetry.”

My heart beat so strongly I was sure others could see it popping out. Afterwards I said to Kim the manager,

“I could do that! I could meet that need! I have an English degree from Oxford and I adore poetry!”

Kim seemed pleased. And that was the beginning of a dream being born.

How Pavement Poetry Came to Life : Sometimes in life you come across a particular person or group of people who change your life forever. You may not notice it at the time. You may think it’s just another nice party, or mundane course you need to take to get you to where your dreams really lie. But I found that when I was sitting around waiting for my dreams to arrive, my dream sidled up to me, unassuming, and I fell into it quite by accident.

I was 22 years old. Fresh out of university (a good one, at that) I was wandering around, wondering what to do with my English degree. I had a vague sense that I wanted to help people, to ‘make things better’ somehow. But the jobs I was applying for weren’t working out for me. I was either over-qualified or under-qualified. I was even rejected from one job because I didn’t have a driving licence. Despondent, I reluctantly agreed to take my pastor’s wife’s advice to ‘volunteer’ somewhere in the community.

I dream

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Photograph taken by Emily Sturgess

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During one memorable poetry class we were discussing the work of John Betjeman. You learn by doing these things: I wouldn’t use John Betjeman again with people at the Mill – his experience of life contrasts too sharply with theirs.

One particularly complex individual became incensed.

“This man doesn’t know anything about life! He’s a scrooge who doesn’t want to send Christmas cards! Hell, at least he has the money! We can’t even afford Christmas cards!”

It was a moment laden with destiny. I didn’t know what to say but I listened and took away a heavy heart. “Someone has got to listen to these people,” I thought. “Someone’s got to help them be heard!”

I poured out my feelings in a poem, which became a promise:

“Be still, souls. You are being heard.

We’ll write your message On public places,

For more than pavementsTo observe.”

Two years later, Pavement Poetry was born. The right time, the right funding, and the right people all co-incided like stars in a constellation to make sure that these precious,

confused, lonely people became the focal point of Oxford’s public space. It may have only been for a day, but the look

on the faces of the Mill poets was enough to make me know it was worthwhile.

We have dreams for a reason. What’s being birthed in your mind and heart and circumstances today? I’d

encourage you to go for it!

By Christa B.LPavement Poetry Founder

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In the early 1980s it was claimed that one in ten people of working age were unemployed in the UK. In 2010 it was reported that one in ten UK graduates were unemployed.

The One in Ten Who cares about the one in ten? Not the dole clerk who wields his penNonchalantly while calling out “next please”Not the working man who strives all dayAnd feels he really earns his payWhile “idle shirkers” live at their ease.

Who cares about the one in ten?The boss who cuts the number of menAt his plant feigns social concern.The theorists can find no answerTo halt this economic cancer.They fear it will soon be their turn.

Why care about the jobless soulsWhose lives lack any structured roles?They too belong to the human raceWho feel sorrow, joy and pain.Life is more than economic gain;Each statistic has a human face.

Poem by Pavement Poet Quintin Douglas

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If my brown shoes could speak ...

If my brown shoes could speakThey would say:

I feel lost, and although to youI may appear a pair – Sound shoesSensible shoesComfortable shoes -My tread is not steady:

A stare from you or a glanceI see as critical,Can throw me off my track.Scuffed now,My polished leather spoiled,My image, the impression that I made, destroyed.I slink off in shame,Flat footed.

Poem by Pavement Poet Chris

Within my mind there are some high old thoughts of A-wandering and a-travelling

Alone through city streets packed through and throughWith crowds and entertainers happily hob-nobbingIn the space between the spaces.

Ready made looming topped up in blissed out workBy statements of design impressed on God’s nature’s creation.

These mapped productions of town planners, architectural mega stars and super duper street theatres.

Oh super-market my comings and goings forthLimited to a quick change, a cup of teaWith me new girlfriend, and a cigarette at the late platform.W

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“Life, don’t talk to me about life” (D. Adams)

Miss is the word that can mean a young ladyOr a target not hit.

Just take out the pain, give me a night of sleepUndisturbed, that I am recharged for the day ahead.

It’s a down dayPoem by Pavement Poet, Gerry

I am like a dangling man Suspended on the thread of time, I seek for a meaning to life But find neither reason nor rhyme.

I am like a helpless flyCaught in the recession’s web;The factories are closing downThe nation’s tide is on the ebb.

I am like a fragile leafFalling slowly to the groundWhich came to bloom in summer.Now autumn has come around.

I am a blank statistic,Recorded by some machineWhich computes figures endlesslyAnd is cold, inhuman and mean.

To view this poem being performed at the Pavement Poetry event click here:

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Food, not smokes, to help me sleepAnd stop my quilt cover from moaning about the burns it keeps getting.

Pain, pain, go away, let me do artwork of my own todayYou take all the space from all of us.

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To view this poem being performed at the Pavement Poetry event click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jgp7L-AEZI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6u6dEUN0BE

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The therapy of poetryDuring a recent course I was involved in it was said that “talking is therapy, talking is clarity, talking is release” and while this statement is true I feel the same thing can be said for writing.

Writing can be therapeutic, allowing a person a break from the constant use of the left side of the brain, the side consistent with ‘logical thinking’. The participant has time to relax and be expressive. We live in pressure-driven times and much emphasis is placed on being practical; being expressive is often not valued thus creating a repressive society.

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Health and social care professionals are increasingly recognising the benefits of creative writing; it is becoming a popular therapeutic tool when needing to help people deal with negative emotions. It is possible to create distance from negative emotions by writing and on the flipside writing also helps to gain access to happy memories bringing joy and relief to a present situation.

My own experience in creative writing is rooted in my youth. As a young person I found myself frustrated and unhappy – probably a feeling most adolescents can relate to. I didn’t feel able to express myself. Overcome with the intensity of emotion I would grasp a pen and write it down.

The contents of my writing were often negative expressions – it was like I was yelling on a page - but nonetheless there was an immediate release, a lowering of tension, an exhale of relief. These pages were invaluable, there was no one there to criticise, no one to judge, no one to advise and that was fine. The paper listened and didn’t interrupt. I got things off my chest and onto a piece of paper. I had de-cluttered my mind, alleviating myself of the frustrations that had overwhelmed me.

Writing down your thoughts can help to combat your fears, self doubt, insecurities and self criticism; it can introduce you to your creative self.

Further on in Walcott’s poem he urges the reader to

“Give back your heart to itself, to the stranger who has loved you all your life, whom you ignored.”

‘Give back your heart to itself’ - powerful words with a hard hitting meaning.

Writing is your way of giving back to yourself. Furthermore he says...

“Sit. Feast on your life”

Use your writing as time to “feast on your life” and you will soon find the benefits appear.

By Donna M WillettsArtsee Trustee

The paper listened and didn’t interrupt...

I had de-cluttered my mind

As humans, the need for self expression is obvious, and due to the nature of our busy lifestyles finding time to talk to others can be difficult. But how can one truly express himself in front of others unless he knows himself or herself?

Setting aside time to write each day or a couple of times a week can be liberating. Give some time to yourself, you deserve it; get to know who you are.

The opening stanza of the famous poem Love after Love by Derek Walcott encourages the reader that...

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other’s welcome.

Do you smile as you ‘greet yourself’? Maybe writing could be your way of learning to do so.

You may not class yourself as creative but the content of your writing need only be your thoughts. There is something about getting your thoughts on paper that brings about clarity, defines emotions and knits together your thoughts. Regardless of quality, writing is beneficial.

The brain works on synergy and repetition. It is proven that the more you try to develop your skills creatively, brain function will be improved generally and you will also perform better in logical tasks! Tony Buzan harnessed this idea when he created ‘mind maps’.

Researchers from the University of California have been exploring the effects of creative writing on emotions. It was found that writing tends ‘to reduce activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain connected with emotion and fear, and increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, the mind’s regulator.’ (Daily Telegraph, 16/2/09).

Regardless of quality, writing is beneficial.

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Backround to ProjectAn Artsee Afterword

Artsee was a core component in co-ordinating the charitable group behind Pavement Poetry. But very few people know that Pavement Poetry was the

first small step after Artsee was formed late in 2010.

Artsee was formed around the simple desires to increase people’s joy, self-esteem and life understanding. These three aims are applicable to almost

everyone and every situation, and they found expression with the mentally ill community in

Pavement Poetry.

So where do we go from here?

We’re a small but growing team and are always on the lookout for new projects and alliances. A stranger is just a friend waiting to

be made!

If you have an idea for an event or series of workshops – or you just want to say hello -then don’t hesitate to contact us at

artseeuk@gmail.com.

And if you would like to run a Pavement Poetry project helping to increase joy, self-esteem and life understanding in your community then get in touch at artseeuk@gmail.com. We’re very happy for you to replicate and use the

structures and branding that we have created. Just let us know!

Thanks for reading this magazine, supporting this very important area of mental health.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Jon Brodie-Levinsohn Artsee Chairman

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Oxfordshire Mind Website: www.oxfordshire-mind.org.uk

Mental health information line: 01865 247788Mental health & services information:

omhi@oxfordshire-mind.org.uk2 Kings Meadow

Osney MeadOxford

OX2 0DPTel: 01865 263730Fax: 01865 263732

Mind UKWebsite: www.mind.org.uk

Mind info line: 0300 123 3393Email: info@mind.org.uk

Time To ChangeWebsite: www.time-to-change.org.uk

Email: info@time-to-change.org.ukTime To Change15-19 Broadway

LONDONE15 4BQ

Thanks and AcknowledgementsOCVA, NHS Oxfordshire and Time to Change;

Everyone at the Mill, particularly the Pavement Poets; Jacqueline Balchin for graphic design; Danny

and Mary Scott; Eve Swanevelder http://www.ishaphotography.com and Emily Sturgess for the

photographs. All friends and supporters - we couldn’t do any of this without you.

Sincere gratitude and respect!

SamaritansWebsite: www.samaritans.orgPhone: 08457 90 90 90 (UK)

1850 60 90 (Eire)Email: jo@samaritans.orgFreepost RSRB-KKBY-CYJK

ChrisP.O. Box 90 90

StirlingFK8 2SA

Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA)

Website: www.ocva.org.ukPhone: 01865 251946The Old Court House

Floyds RowSt Aldates

OxfordOX1 1SS

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I never imagine a perfect worldI make no demands

Except on myselfTo learn to live and love

And self-regulate and discipline myselfWithin the world God has given us

Appreciate… the natural worldCommunicate… with others

Have strength… to make changes in my own life

Use my power… to help others do the same

I believeThis will leadTo paradise.

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