*After Nate Marshall’s Pronounce

pĕk

Fold your lips like uniform of de … boy.
Parents said it was when he was most
happy so they buried him in it along with 24
classmates’ colouring pencils,
not the right kind of stick that’ll keep at bay
the jaw of news jingle: another one de … look … see
how the mourning hangs in the air as if thick pollen
and like all fevers not everyone is affected. Mrs
George (flat beneath us), who can’t hear too good and turns
the volume to the max during Countdown says
it’s a shame what you people do to each other.

Now punch the sound through even
though the nasal clasps in the way
fingers of the brothers who didn’t think
he would actually d..

nărm

This time the tongue leans on the mouth’s roof
like winter on the shoulder of these blocks trying
to catch its breath;
the right place to find a really bad day or stashes
of hard food though we be manning them most times.

We must have watched a Vietnam war film
and saw a regular Tuesday
just more confetti.
Though their trenches weren’t
suspended corridors like ours,
the gist was the same.

Peckham [pĕk nărm]

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Caleb Femi is the Young People’s Laureate for London, he is also an English teacher. As a poet his works are often described as vivid and honestly delivered with an essence of musicality. Some of his commissions include the Tate Modern, The Royal Society for Literature, Lit Festival and the Guardian. Caleb has graced major stages such as the Roundhouse mainstage, Royal Festival Hall and many festivals including Latitude, Ed Fringe, Lovebox to name a few. Caleb has also won the Roundhouse Poetry Slam and Genesis Poetry Slam and is currently working on a debut pamphlet. Also, Caleb has led poetry workshops in schools in East and North London.