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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2024: Clayplates
by Saheed Sunday
Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2024: Clayplates
I learnt the word feminism when I was nine.
Today, I’m ten years older and
I have waited equally that long to learn the word
to tell my father that crying isn’t the same thing as dying.
And saying ‘no’ to a death wish doesn’t make
him less of a man. It means he knows the thin line
between living and surviving.
You see, my father’s first fall
was on a field. His philosophy that a man is born
to run kept him on his toes forever, until he paid
less attention to the sand that bruises his feet,
until the sand slumped him, until both he and his
Feet forgot what they were running for in the first
Place. The problem they say is that he keeps forgetting.
He keeps forgetting that anything big enough to kill you is big enough
to leave a scar that reminds you of how close
you were to death. You see, scratch that. When does
A man learn to hold on tightly to that part
of him that feels, the same way water holds onto
what it drowns? When does a man’s tears stop
Being a tight noose around his neck choking
and choking until he becomes the only thing
absent in his son’s memory? When
Does a man get to show his middle finger
To those who tell him a man is defined by
How long he survives in places where death
Is inevitable? A man is only human after he drops
Dead. Drops dead from war, from work, from weights
A little too much to bear. When does a man
realize that it is only death that makes us care, or
pretend to care, or at least try to pretend to care?
Am I less a man because my feet cannot fit
into these shoes of war
The society bequeathed to me? Am I less a man because every
Step I take takes me closer to being a poet rather than
Being the poem? They say the common ground between
A man and a comma is that they are both pauses that never
End a story.. They say when a boy is old enough
To carry his father’s wounds and not frown, he becomes a man.
Scratch that, dad. Who wants to become a man
When being a man is being two feet away from death?
A special thank you to our WordView 2024 poets.
Hear from two of our winners this year on what the Archive and winning has meant to them:
From William Wyld:
'As a neuro-diverse poet who has struggled to engage with books, reading aloud made literature accessible to me. The Poetry Archive is such a valuable resource and to be included as a winner is a wonderful surprise, giving me validation as an artist, the motivation to keep writing and performing, and the confidence to submit my work widely. I recorded at the last minute, walking by a river through the undergrowth as the light was fading, so my poem could be heard with the movement of the landscape. It was an experiment, but good things happen when we take risks.'
From Sarah Morris:
'I felt that I would enter the PAN competition as my last submission of the year as it is a fun one to do. I enjoy reading out my poems and doing videos and bonus with PAN as they are put up online. I like that these poems are accessible by everyone.
When I got the ' you are a winner' email – I felt super impressed that I had been included for a top 20 selection – I felt validated that my work has been recognised and it has inspired me to keep on writing and re drafting next year.'
From Nuri Rosegg:
'A British friend told me about PAN. I’m grateful to her and to PAN that I could enter this fabulous poetry competition. This year (just like last year when I entered for the first time) I felt grateful, excited and a little bit nervous due to the video-making challenge. However, it was great fun to read out loud my own piece of work. It’s another dimension being able to present my poem to the audience “live” from around the world than just having them read my text. Being one of the winners this year makes me so happy, grateful and proud. Thanks, PAN!'
From Julie-Ann Rowell:
"It is an honour to have my reading of my poem ‘Newsworthy’ chosen for the Poetry Archive Now! WordView 2024 project, representing poets writing in English in 2024. This particular year has been deeply challenging, and I wanted to write about George Orwell for whom the exchange of information and how this can be distorted was of prime significance. His world view is as relevant today as it ever was. Poetry has an important task to do in representing what is happening in the world and the Poetry Archive does a fantastic job of storing recordings of poets at work for future generations. Hearing poets’ voices brings their words into a more personal and lasting frame, and the Archive is free for anyone to listen in and find their favourite poet or discover a new one. I am so proud to be a part of it."
See the collectionWatch the full Wordview 2024 playlist