Sean Kelly, Poet
A teacher stole my best poem. I was ten.
Leighton Wilde was his name, a giant Welshman with a giant laugh. He took my poem home to read at a dinner party. He forgot to bring it back. He kept forgetting. Eventually, he said a guest had stolen it. In the three weeks it took him to own up, I'd forgotten the poem. Except that I'd rhymed "horror" with "tomorrow" - I have never done that again.
I do remember hearing the guffaws of staff echoing down the corridor as Mr Wilde read it out in the staff room - having run from the class with it mid-lesson.
I should have read the signs, and become a poet then, but I wasn't the most confident child. Some of the world's greatest comics tell of using comedy in the playground to build bridges, make friends, gain admiration. Not me. Well, a little, but not enough.
Thirty years on, I'm lucky. I'm no more mature than I was at ten. And I'm writing poetry again!
Writing it, performing it, and really, really enjoying it. Performance poetry is gaining in popularity, and I recommend it to potential participants and audiences alike. A good poem can be funnier than the sharpest joke, more emotional than an Oscar winning weepie.
In schools, poetry is a great leveller. Everyone has a poem in them, and young kids haven't yet told themselves that "poetry is not for me". Even teens, after a half or even whole day workshop, get excited about poetry, once they've seen the beauty, the wit or the roots of rap, hip hop and song.
I love contemporary performance poets like John Hegley, Matt Harvey, Adrian Mitchell, Francesca Beard and Lemn Sissay. And Felix Dennis throws a great party!
If you're interested, why not:
take a look at some of my poems
see me "in performance"
check out links to some great poetry websites :
I'm delighted to be supported by the Arts Council England, who are helping me to develop my writing and performance!
