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Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2024: Love Shrouded by Ackee Trees
by Amîlcar Peter Sanatan
Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2024: Love Shrouded by Ackee Trees
i came across a yard where an ackee tree grew alone
who was the owner? no one was home it looked
villagers muttered it was the woman from Jamaica
who planted it there to poison them after she left
but ackee trees grow joyous, their fruit have attitude
foreigners to their matter-of-factness would find them rude
their branches hold on to fences, lean over walls
black seeds and flesh flex for others to imagine eating them
the season’s tease, fried up in onion, daily with biscuits
almost toxic like love, we should never grow used to but have
violated branches, our sojourn into relationships, at best, half-ripe
mornings after vomiting, sweet talk that wrap around our hands and feet
like chains shrinking under bed sheets, sinking in corridors
in all this, we stay put next to fruit trees
that make us feel more woe & manly
surely it is better to leave trees to bear, their fruit fall
among brown frogs in the yard and litter in drains
the tree is not so strange, especially when it glistens
better i wait for ackee to ripe properly
A special thank you to our WordView 2024 poets.
Hear from some 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."
From Joe Williams:
"I was very pleased to hear my poem ‘Carol Prepares Her Third Perm of the Day’ was to be included in the Poetry Archive’s Now! Wordview 2024 collection. These collections provide a great snapshot of the year in poetry, featuring a diverse range of poets, and I’m particularly interested in the way they include grass roots writers as well as some better known names. My poem is taken from a pamphlet I’m currently working on, and it’s fantastic to have the support of the Poetry Archive as I look ahead to approaching potential publishers."
See the collectionWatch the full Wordview 2024 playlist