Walker Academy 2021- Collected Poems

Three Minutes by Lilly

3 minutes is a long time to write.
What can you do in three minutes?
My porridge takes three minutes in the microwave every morning.
It takes three minutes to brush my teeth.
Takes three minutes to miss the bus,
three minutes to be late to class.
Takes three minutes to climb a tree –
a very specifically sized tree that takes exactly three minutes to climb.
I can do an aerial routine for a talent show in three minutes.
Sing a song on a ukulele in just three minutes.
Me and my friends can revise for a biology test in three minutes –
might not get an A on the test but we are A* procrastinators.
Someone could break a world record in three minutes.
Definitely not me, but someone.
You could learn to count to thirty in another language.
Go on the world’s shortest plane flight.
Swim across the River Tyne.
Eat twenty chicken nuggets, really fast.
Or instead of doing these things,
you could listen to me read this poem,
which took me three minutes to write.
Well, the first draft.

The Sign by Lilly

We all know those signs, right?
The signs with the scary words in bold writing.
Signs signed by the City Council
so you know they mean business.
The signs we see quite often
but never think twice.
Just walk past it and don’t disobey what it says.
That’s what I always did anyway,
until one day,
when I broke the rules of ‘The Sign’.
The sign that said, ‘Don’t go here’,
‘Don’t do this’,
‘Don’t jump over this wall and break into a school to retrieve your skateboard.’
Well I did.
I haven’t been prosecuted by the police,
yet.
Wonder what ‘Causing a nuisance’ means anyway.
Is breaking into a school causing a nuisance?
Probably.
Either way, it’s definitely trespassing.
So I guess I can say I’m a rebel now.
I didn’t follow the sign
and nothing happened.
So why don’t you go out and disobey some signs?
Stand on the grass,
feed the birds,
play ball games near windows,
order a kid’s meal, even though you’re over the age of 12.
But if your hand gets bitten off by putting it in a piranha tank
don’t blame me.


I Remember by Bolu

I remember Nigeria, a place like no other.
I remember the vibes in Lagos.
I remember partying with my guys.
I remember seeing people drinking.
I remember them being like ‘have a sip’.
I did and it tasted bad.
I remember playing football with my friends.
I remember scoring once, I felt on top of the world.
I remember telling my bother to stay in the post.
I remember him coming forward.
I remember me colliding with my elder brother.
I remember my brother breaking my fall with his faithful leg and at that moment it broke.
I remember banging on people’s doors for fun.
I remember a place where a lot of varieties of food are cooked.
I remember it being called Chicken Republic.
I remember buying a full chicken,
I remember it being a different kind of food,
roasted and garnished.
I remember salivating.
I remember seeing it from a distance.
I remember taking a deep breath it smelt nice.
I liked it.
I remember going out till mama called.
I remember lying on the soft grass, counting the stars,
as if the grass was a bed.
I remember this being one of the best days of my life.

Depression of a Dragon by Bolu

The animal flies can be heard thousands of miles away
Always in flames
Feels like something is burning
It’s inside of me
It’s killing me
It disturbs me
It’s always on my mind
Can’t get rid of it
I’m sad, can’t sleep
I have a taste
It’s bad
It’s rough
I hate it
Want friends
But I have none
I’m a mighty dragon and I’m all alone.


GTA Wannabe by Emma

I remember it being a sunny day, relatively normal.
We were coming back from Asda with a box of cornettos.
My little sister was playing hop scotch on the road.
I heard the whiz of a fast car
and I saw a blurry red blob.
I don’t like red cars.
I ran over to her.
Next thing I know I was bodying my sister on to the pavement.
I remember (unlike that driver) that this isn’t GTA,
and as much fun as it sounds to run people over with a car,
you should slow the heck down.
A not-so-soft hedge stopped me from cracking my head open like an egg.
I felt like freaking superman after saving her life.
I also remember feeling a strange pang of fear as I stared at the car for a straight second.
I did not even get a thank you.
I’ve regretted my decision to save my sister for a whole 4 years.

My Thoughts on Invisibility by Emma

I think it would be quite cool,
being able to vanish and reappear at will.
How would I do it?
Oh, I don’t know, by doing nothing,
by staying still, being quiet.
In that case I’m already invisible.
But what would I use it for?
To scare my sister, maybe.
I could destroy her room, break all of her toys.
‘It wasn’t me, it was a ghost.’
Yeah, right.
But that wouldn’t be useful.
I could commit a crime,
now invisibility would be quite useful then.
What crime would I commit?
Burglary? Nah, that’s too generic.
What would I even steal?
Something valuable, important.
But that would be quite big and heavy,
like the crown jewels
or that diamond from Wallace and Gromit.
I don’t even have super strength I couldn’t do it.
But what about murder?
Oh I could see that.
Who would I kill though?
You? I mean, probably not.
Someone important?
Well, in that case, I definitely wouldn’t kill you.
Probably the Prime Minister,
I could be in and out in no time,
afterwards I could sit down with a cup of tea and biscuits,
relax as the country goes into turmoil.
But I wouldn’t do that, obviously.
Please don’t report me to the police.
I wouldn’t kill anyone.
But anyway,
invisibility looks like it would feel cold,
and I have no use for it.
I can already do it.


The Seagull by Alex

The seagull soaring in the sky,
the seagull takes a dive,
the seagull screeches,
the seagull smells,
the seagull sees,
the seagull swipes your crisps,
the seagull eats,
the seagull wants more,
the seagull pecks at your feet,
the seagull is disappointed to see you breathe.

I Remember a Time by Alex

I remember a time before,
I remember being 4,
I remember being younger,
I remember being so much smaller,
I remember the other people being so much taller,
I remember feeling like a dwarf in a giant’s world.
I remember the long plane rides,
I remember the long strides of cars,
I remember the large rooftop gardens,
I remember getting lost with my Grandmum,
I remember being the youngest with the oldest,
I remember that small noodle shop,
I remember going to Flamingo Land,
I remember my Mum fearing,
I remember hearing screaming,
I remember going at a high velocity,
I remember the penguins and their little cities.
I remember them swimming.
I forgot the first time I watched TV,
I forgot my first friends,
I forgot my first words,
I’ve forgotten more, way more than I can actually remember.


I Remember by Favour

I remember the day I started to ride my first bike at the age of 6 with my dad,
and also falling.
I remember the day I met good people in the green park, sweet and nice.
I remember moments with my friends.
I remember the day I watched Hamilton and how the singing made me so happy.
I remember how my childhood was filled with pink,
how my sister loved it and made me love it too,
it was horrible.
I remember the way I used to write cursive in primary school which made me calm down.
I remember the day watching the sky
counting all the stars,
without no stop.


Untitled by Jaden

My writing will give you more goosebumps than R.L. Stine
I teleport like the doctor back through time
drop into the warzone I’m better than SMii7y
kill him early on its really a pity
swim faster than the Megalodon
by the time he gives chase I’m already gone
so sneaky I put Tom Cruise to shame
getting info faster than the game
in Minecraft I’m the ultimate avatar in pvp
even Dream hides away from me
good at skateboarding, I do sick flips
even Tony Hawk buffers my kicks
superior at football than Neymar Jr
so fast on track I outmanoeuvre
Usain Bolt I am his tutor
superfast like a Mac computer


Pride in a Lion by George

Walking through the savannah, a king passes by furry and strong
His mane looks like flames burning with pride
His tooth looks like it has been royally sharpened for a special occasion
Orange eyes that can pierce through your heart
As he stands, he shows his true form of dominance
Just by looking you can barely see a sign of weakness in him
But still his kingdom realises something that he can’t just leave his kingdom without a reason, as other animals stand still as he passes
When trusted, he gives people a feeling of contentment in a tamer way

Great Days by George

I remember getting Italian lessons but only remembering ‘arrivederci’ and ‘giorno’.
I remember playing basketball and getting overshadowed by my brother and his friends just to mock me.
I remember playing basketball on the court with my homies and then smelling this crucifying scent then finding out it was us who stank.
I remember hating show-offs on the basketball court.
I remember the corner shop in Queens that had a sign saying ‘All customers must dress as fancy as you can’.
I remember beheading my neighbour’s daughter’s dolls hoping that I could see just one ounce of blood.
I remember going to Olive Garden just to hit on the waitress then order some chicken nuggets.
I remember my first day in boarding school in Nigeria when I got beaten up just because it was the law to beat up the first years.
I remember going to the dentist just because I thought I could also rip out his own teeth to make me feel better.