Alun Lewis Centenary Projects
As part of the centenary celebrations for Alun Lewis, Patrick Jones and Rufus Mufasa led two cross artform workshops inspired by the work of the celebrated poet.
Born on 1 July 1915 in Cwmaman, Alun Lewis became the foremost poet and prose writer of the Second World War.. Rooted in the South Wales valleys from his childhood to his later profession as teacher in Lewis School, Caerphilly, Lewis went on to travel the world during his military service in India and Burma during the Second World War. These experiences profoundly shaped his work, leading to his reputation as a great war writer of his time. He died during active service in 1944 at the age of 28.
Pupils at Lewis school and Cowbridge Comprehensive school explored Alun Lewis’ poetry and created their own pieces in response to his work – poetry from Cowbridge and musical pieces from Lewis school.
Please see below:
Rubble’s Toy (by Will and Jack)
There has always been rubble,
But it was far, far away;
In disastrous war and famine
And never, ever here.
0605 was caught in the rubble,
A victim of the blitz;
The factory lost a corner to bombing,
And a victim who never belonged.
0606 was caught in the rubble,
He fell for money not recovered,
His tourist owner fled from Sharm el Sheik,
Imperialist, futile conflict.
0607 was caught in the rubble,
He was with a unlikely family,
Although they could leave by car,
A swerve hit something potent.
0608 was caught in the rubble,
With a merchant ship carrying aids,
Mistaken for a battle ship floating adrift,
Bobbing softly through the orange waves.
0609 was caught in the rubble,
Nearly out of the danger zone;
A soldiers momento shot down at the last,
As the plane left the barran dessert.
0610 was not caught in the rubble,
That toy is here to tell;
His colour and past will decay unless
Another war comes today.
Holster (by Pheobe, Holly and Louis)
Close to your body,
You feel my deathly power,
Hidden behind the leather, old and decaying,
Hides my bloody trigger.
The war following at your waist
Waiting to take another life,
Every life, another drop of blood to fill me
Until your hands turn red.
The leather of my casing
Can’t hide what fate will come
The impure fashion clothes my poison
My skin too, bites the dust.
Sophisticated, slender, shiny, slade
Bullets, beautiful bullets
Hidden within my pouch
The weapon of the weapon
The war that holds us.
A lonely feather (by Callum, Ethan, Owen)
Elegant dancer
In the limitless sky
Even clouds fight for freedom
We are losing lives.
No escaping this powerfulness
Fixation on feathers, wishing weightlessness,
A loner, lack of floppiness
No worries or aspirations to adhere to
No devilish hoops to jump through
What seems to be absolute freedom
Leads to arrogance of men
Superiority and prowess
Doesn’t lead to absolute freedom
The politicians dream of.
Everlasting Flame (by Locklan)
Earth to earth, bright light I beg for guidance,
Empty, alone, my spirit stands still, left with no horizons.
We’ve not got long for you shall melt soon,
As your tranquillity shall fade, and me just left with truth.
Ashes to ashes, I can’t help see, you are fading fast,
I can’t change your future, nor you, change my past.
For guidance, to me, you have left me none,
But your destined demise, has just begun.
Dust to dust, oh Lord above, help me see,
That the sorrow of mine was from memory.
You took my future from my past,
And laid it to rest for me, at last.
Your wax drowned out the fuse to your flame,
As if this was just a large sadistic game.
Up this late, through my eyes drowned in tears, I find,
Your flickering light was playing tricks on my tired mind.
Though stronger in forces, your tricks still riddled me,
But then again following your demise, I foresaw peace.
Before, your texture, was smooth as silk,
But now your texture is runny as milk.
I shall never forget the mind tricks that you played on me
And yet you still reminded me of my barren memory.
And given, yes, it was hard to handle,
The torturous trials of the malevolent candle.
Time (by Molly, Lilly, Jess)
Never stops, keeps going
Always ticking
Away in the background.
Counting down, bringing reality
Seconds minutes hours days
When will it end?
Never.
A reminder of the bombs
9/11, 7/7
Dates times people
Hanging over, intimidation, interegation, accusation
Long time no see
The past
Checking, counting the hours
Minutes seconds- lifetime.
Time leads. Years get shorter
Hyperactive, controlling, rush
Over
Never sleeps, never dreams
Stress, no choice, job to dp
Tick Tock
Will it stop?
Ending lives
Extra time to fight
Guns go off at night
No origin story
Evolves, developed
Time makes war.
War takes
Time.
Group piece.
Red trenches
Sad wire
Angry tank
Bloody leader.
Hellish battlegrounds
Dark attacks
Empty bodies
Dramatized gas.
Scarred sergeants
Blurry death
Sacrificial anger
Lifeless terrorists.
Everlasting war
Malicious borders
Futile tears
Pathetic politicians.
