Dear Diary…..

I know so many writers keep diarys, but I never have done…. so this feels like a teenage confessional first diary! To keep you in the loop on MPOY at WBA, well ….last night I spent time with Channelle – a brilliant 17yr old, highlighted and diamond earring player in one of the womens teams at WBA…. she can nutmeg in a way that would make Wayne Rooney’s ears bleed:) I stayed in the chilly wind to watch the team training for their cup match next week and made some more notes. It’s research….although I’m sure all the girls there wonder what on earth I’m writing about as they practise penalties and tackling in some menacing and effective ways.

There are a lot of great women involved at WBA – infact when Naomi (MPOY co ordinator and I first went to meet Allison, (who’s in charge of all their community and education projects) – we were impressed by how many women work in the blue and white painted offices, just like the team strip. Each time I’ve been back since to shadow their youth workers I’ve also been amazed at how young yet mature many of the team are who work with schools and all so passionate about encouraging other young people in sport and ‘disguised learning’ as they call it….which sounds like subterfuge…. but basically means that if you’re wearing a football kit and running workshops that involve some sports stuff too, then pupils don’t notice the classroom side of things as well – very canny.

Luckily I was there a few weeks ago when the mens team actually won, beating Sunderland by a mighty 3 goals. This meant I was able to ‘Boing boing’ 3 times, and sing ‘The Lord is my shepherd’ as is the fans’ tradition once we’re in the lead. I’ve also seen behind the scenes at the ground, stood in the showers where the guys enjoy their communal shower after the game….. more about that in the future I think….although so far no one but the players is allowed to set foot on the pitch….so I’m hoping at the end of the season to enjoy that opportunity and write on it. Well, not literally on the turf, or the groundsman will scalp me, but you know what I mean, with pen and paper….

I’ve had some brilliant sessions with my mentor Jo Bell so far, (who’s currently dressed as a ring mistress for her new poetry show which you can hear more about next time… teasing you here) and I’ve got lots of tasks to do before our next session in a couple of weeks.

I’ve also been asked if I’ll have my portrait painted??!!  how mad is that? The painter Graham Kershaw has painted other former B’ham Poet Laureates before, including my friends Dreadlock Alien and Spoz, and now he wants to paint a bunch of us, and some New York performance poets and for us to write a poem like a verbal self portrait as we sit for him….which you’ll be able to hear if you see the portrait, with our voices on the recording:) Jo Bell is also involved in this, so we’ll be able to tell you more on here soon, it will be one of the most surreal experiences in my life. I never have my hair cut in a salon as it would be torture having to stare at myself in the mirror, so what it will be like sitting in front of a painter I’ve no idea….. but it’s always my policy to say yes to whatever comes along and challenge myself. (Although I did say no to water skiing recently, as I’m so clumsy I already have hundreds of other ways to break a limb or two!)

Anyway, I’ve just finished doing a music radio show for Smooth, and now have to finish off my poem for Radio 2’s arts thing tonight. I’ve written and trashed so many pieces in the last 2 days – how do you write something about someone as talented as Carol Ann Duffy? So I think I’ll keep it pared down let her work speak for itself, although I still want to keep an avocado reference in there somewhere….

Enjoy your weekend:)x