When I was afraid for the future, I made meadows - Commission

I read my commissioned poem "When I was afraid for the future I made meadows" at Child Friendly Warwickshire's annual Youth Conference, relating to the themes of the fantastic event. The names included in this poem are the names of inspirational young people who volunteered to be included - all of whom are taking positive action for nature. Please see this link (click here) for a video of my reading at the event, or read below:

When I was afraid for the future, I made meadows

Sowed barren ground with hope

swathes of colour, texture, scent -

it helped

there was lady's bedstraw and field scabious

birds-foot-trefoil, poppies, vetch.

I felt better

and the butterflies came -

red admirals, tortoiseshells, skippers.

Nectaring, lifting me with their wings

then hoverflies and bees and things I didn’t

even have names for.

Goldfinches clung to drying seedheads

just as I'd seen in books, and dusk

was peppered with moths

and under leaves hid pearly slug eggs

and snail shells tightly cemented shut

as pipistrelles cast shadows

in the street light -

it felt good.

Do you ever feel hopeless

helpless, alone?

I did. I thought it was just me

and my meadows

just me and a handful of seed –

but it’s not, you see

I found Em and Jose and Harry

with their nest boxes and birds and trees

and Benji and Beth

with their drawings and rewilding

and James who spends his days counting bees.

Everywhere

there are young people like us

our small acts adding up,

so don't feel alone -

in the face of adversity

be the hope.