Below is a poem created collectively with Year 5 children at Bewsey Lodge Primary School for Through the Mesh.
A long time ago, there was an abandoned playground.
Some people built a factory on it.
A wire factory.
…
We heard the noise
Of the brick oven firing away.
Of the compresser flattening away.
Turning the metal into wire.
Turning the wire into mesh.
…
Metal into wire
Wire into mesh
Metal into wire
Wire into mesh
Metal
Wire
Wire
Mesh
Metal
Wire
Mesh
Wire
…
The aim was to create wire
to connect all humans
all over the word.
…
Wire to connect
all humans in the world
…
Telecommunication wires
Electrical wires
Telecommunication wires
Electrical wires
Wires of connection
Connection
Connection
…
A big world wide web,
A big world wire mesh.
…
Pins were made of wire
to mend broken clothes,
Broken places,
Broken hearts.
…
Bing bong bang
Bing bong bang
Hurried the big machine.
Ping bang ping bang
Urged the hammers
Ping bang
Ba ba ba bang
…
Extracting
Smelting
Melting
Crushing
Compressing
Drawing
Pulling
Twisting
Fitting
Weaving
Drawing
Tying
Twisting
Reconstructing
…
The wire could be shaped and formed
Into numerous forms.
…
But people got scared
Of spiders
Of shark
And snails
…
Of dead plants
Of fire
Of brussel sprouts
And bugs
…
Of Covid 19
Of stress
Of sadness
And pain
…
Sad
Overwhelmed
Nervous
Tearful
Disheartened
Stressed
Anxious
Depressed
Heartbroken
…
So the mesh was weaved
into a safe box,
With a safe lock.
So that people who were scared,
Could come in
and find some rest.
…
My box felt cosy.
my box felt close.
my box felt empty.
My box was just me.
…
My box filtered,
through the mesh.
All the things I liked
stayed inside.
All the things I hated
were filtered out.
…
No homophobic people
But Pride and Music
No rude insults
and negative attitudes.
…
Everyone might think you’re ok
Thinking nothing of it,
And you’re isolated
In this tiny box.
…
Things that we don’t want.
Feeling like your friendships are lost
Feeling anxious, upset, worried
But feeling like no one understands.
…
Things that we don’t want are the bad feelings inside us
Like the bluest sadness and the redest anger.
Things that we don’t want come from all around us.
But nothing can take away the happiness inside us.
…
One day I saw a lake in a cage.
There was a crocodile trying to escape.
A water spider found the lock
And the crocodile escaped.
…
When I was in lockdown,
my box felt close.
…
Trapped inside,
like an animal in a zoo.
Do they feel safe inside?
Do they mind seeing the world
Through the mesh?
…
The rabbit died.
It broke my heart.
…
Inside my box,
I long to be connected again.
…
Connections come and go,
connections come and go,
connections come and go,
the servers are acting up,
Computers are lagging,
lagging
lagging.
…
But then I found a corridor,
A corridor of connection,
And I followed it.
It led to my best friend’s box.
…
There were all these connections,
All these corridors
Connecting to all my besties,
And my family.
Down one corridor,
there was my dog Biscuit.
…
One day, Anthony and I woke up in the same box.
We found a happy box together
We were friends again.
…
We are friends, we connect
You can’t break that unless
You break them all
Tunnels to houses
Hearts all the same
We are like a family
Connection will never end.
…
Friendships connections are like invisible wire,
Where mesh doesn’t divide, but connect us all the same.
…
Inside my box,
I want to open up
I want my friends,
My family,
My teacher,
My school.
…
I want science projects,
Xboxes,
TVs,
My cat Mabel
Garage Band
Holidays
…
I want apple trees and snakes
I want clouds, rain and rainbow
I want bird songs, and laughters,
I want stars,
And galaxies and
New places.
..
The world I see
The world I meet
The word I seek.
Wonderful sensation
I love this location
Where I see my destination.
…
A Wonderful orange sun
The world is in my box
Let’s have fun
And Dream.
