Generations of Home
I don’t know anything about my first home, or if I had one at all.
There was chaos and wrongdoing, but love lingers.
Though, love wasn’t enough to care for me, and so I moved on.
On into a proper home, with support, friendly dogs, balloons, motorbikes and a big family.
They wouldn’t care for me always, but their love is eternal.
Though it was never my true home, and so I moved on.
On into my forever home, surrounded by music, kisses, cuddles, adventures and the sense of belonging.
I feel love that will embrace me forever, no matter what.
Though, one day I will want to explore the world on my own, and so I will move on.
On to make my dreams come true, with furry friends, shelves of books, and my own children to care for.
All the love I have experienced, I can now share with them.
We will live together in the home I build, though one day, they will move on.
– Alexia, Three Counties
Generations
Generations.
They come and go.
But what is in a generation?
Do we really know?
For this poem, I started to explore,
Names, ages, but one thing is sure
Music is at a generation’s core.
Baby-Boomers, born ‘46-‘64,
Had a time of rock’n’roll, Motown and rebellion galore.
Elvis, Beatles, Pink Floyd and more,
Dominated this period after the war.
GenX is next, the MTV age.
Heavy metal, punk, grunge, pop &hip-hop.
Nirvana, Madonna and The Clash on stage,
GenX really are a varied lot.
Millennials again, had quite a mix.
With Britney, Beyoncé, Usher &more,
Filling up every single dance floor.
Whilst pop-punk became a big thing too,
With Avril Lavigne & Blink182.
Moving on to the digital lives of GenZ,
Blending pop, rap, electronic & indie.
Whether or not you are a Swiftie,
GenZ music boasts emotional authenticity.
Gen-Alpha has taken a scary turn,
From TikTok to Brain-Rot,
Have we lost the plot?
But I’m Gen-Alpha and I want more,
The digital world gives us lots to explore.
My Spotify playlist grows longer each day,
Featuring Dolly Parton, Goo Goo dolls and of course, Coldplay.
As time moves on and each generation departs,
Let’s remember we need music, we need the arts.
Don’t stick to music from our generation,
Let’s keep showing our appreciation.
– Connie, Suffolk
Dad and Dad Jokes
Dad jokes are annoying.
All kids hate them, they really do.
“They never get old” my dad will say.
Whilst cracking another joke too.
“I’m bored” I would say,
“Hello bored, I’m dad” he will reply.
Always in front of my friends,
I could die!
When we drive past a field,
“What’s that?” He would say,
“That’s hay” my reply.
“Hey? Hey?” He would say.
Pretending he can’t hear me,
Maybe he’ll stop that one day.
“What’s the difference between a dad and a dad joke?”
Here we go again!
“It’s apparent!”
Ugh! He drives me insane!
Kids really hate dad jokes.
It’s sad but it’s true,
But maybe I’ll like them when I’m a dad too.
– Austin, Northampton
Generations
Family creator
Name originator
History maker
Baby chapter
Milk guzzler
Small snuggler
Helpless screamer
Long sleeper
Toddler chapter
Messy eater
Learning-to-walker
Endless talker
Terrible two-er
Tantrum doer
Nursery goer
Child chapter
Inquisitive explorer
Outdoor lover
Energetic mover
Snack eater
Why asker
Toy player
Learning-to-writer
School starter
Teenage chapter
High schooler
Constant annoyer
Phone user
Reluctant homeworker
Lying-inner
Friend defender
Independence experimenter
Rule tester
Adult chapter
Hard worker
Bill payer
Get-it-done nagger
Food preparer
Fridge filler
Clothes washer
Taxi driver
Willing helper
Grandparent chapter
Generation starter
Time sharer
Story teller
Child carer
Object repairer
Grandchild supporter
Advice supplier
Praise awarder
Money giver
Generation enjoyer
Memory generator
Future moulder
Expect better
Age older
Important belonger
Role repeater
– Lizzy, South Norfolk
The Piano
It’s ancient and worn down,
Clunky and colossal,
So why does great nan still have it?
It’s not a precious fossil
My great nan has dementia,
But this helps memory weave back through,
She hums along, remembering the song,
What a wonderful thing this can do
She owned the piano,
And used it in her childhood,
And when she had children,
Taught to them as every mother would
Like a river that keeps on flowing
Knocking away the dam
Like an athlete that kept on going
As they ran and ran and ran
It was played by my nanny,
And the talent kept moving on,
It was passed down generations,
To me, my aunty passed it on
And now it is my turn playing,
The piano standing there,
So, I play the tunes and change the moods,
And everyone gathers round my chair
From one generation to the next,
Through family gatherings together,
The piano at the heart,
I want this to go on forever
– Esme, Essex
The Phone
I feel embarrassed because I do not have a new type of phone everyone has.
I wonder what hides underneath its shiny glass.
I ask my mum a million times, “Can I get it?” She says no — I do not have to fit in.
She says they laugh, scroll, and never quit, and she does not want me to be like that one bit.
Then we sit together. She tells me that when she was younger, they had no better.
She spent lots of time with her family. She had a brick phone but still lived happily.
She played all day long, but not on a gaming console.
She only used her phone during emergencies because back then tech was a controversy.
Then Granny entered the room: “The newest I ever got was a sweeping broom.
The closest phone to our village was six miles behind the river spillage.
A candlestick it was — sometimes it would just break and pause.
But nowadays that’s called an uncommon cause.”
After hearing the stories of my generations,
I do not have to follow viral sensations.
One day I’ll tell these stories and probably laugh
on my generation’s behalf.
– Sofia, Cambridgeshire