In April, I handed the baton of Youth Poet Laureate over to two other young poets, as my term came to an end. It was a privilege to be awarded the role; made more prevalent by the fact that the role of Youth Poet Laureate was created because I took the judges by surprise in a good way. Both my poetry and my writing have come along leaps and bounds since.
It is a strange feeling having handed over the role, because it is a role I've had for a year, and I have become used to having the role. At the same time, not having the role anymore frees me up to do other things, and I am still very much a part of Stamford's creative community, and the surrounding areas.
Just because I am no longer the Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of Stamford does not mean that I will be going back into my ‘cubby-hole’ anytime soon!
I began going to A Pint of Poetry in Stamford, an event that happens on the last Wednesday of every month, after ‘meeting’ Yvette Diaz-Munoz through social media. I seem to remember that I had only been going to the night three or four months before the competition for the next Poet Laureate began. I thought, ‘why not give this a go; they can only say no, and they might even say yes’.
And so I did.
For the competition (2022), I wrote (in my opinion) one of my most powerful poems on writing called ‘Keep Writing’, a poem that you can read in my latest poetry anthology, ‘Endeavour’.
My goal from the outset was to show the young people of Stamford that they can achieve things, and that we never quite know where things are going to take us, so we might as well take opportunities as they arise — as long as we are not overcommitting ourselves. For me, It was also very important to show disabled people of Stanford and surrounding areas — frankly anyone who’ll listen — that they can achieve, and they're not lesser. In fact, people with disabilities have unique perspectives and insights to offer the world, due to the nature of being disabled; there being more obstacles to overcome, the need to be resourceful, and adept at problem-solving. As it happens, the medium that I tend to do this through is poetry. Though, ultimately, I have since delved into various forms of writing. Being made a Poet Laureate, alongside Scott Coe, is testament to our ability to write and perform. The role gives us a platform to convey our passion, and with this, our dedication to writing and poetry as a craft.
Throughout the year, I went to various schools, performed at the Stanford Diversity Festival — as well as a few other poetry events scattered about the local area.
Although I was Youth Poet Laureate, and so a lot of my work was centred around young people, it was reassuring that I could show everybody — no matter who they are — that poetry and writing can be accessible.
Something that comes with being a Poet Laureate — and I have found in life, generally — is the understanding that people are put off by the fact that they assume every bit of poetry is by Shakespeare and Keates, and the feeling that poetry is so complicated because the language is so different from today. It takes a lot of time to sit down with a text, and work out what's being said, before the poem can be read effectively. Not everybody can do that, not everybody has time to do that, Not everybody wants to do that.
I've been trying to encourage the fact that anybody could write poetry. Fundamentally, poetry is literally words, or a paragraph, that has rhythm — or perhaps a bit of rhyme. The main driver for this form of writing is the imagery, not necessarily the writing itself. There is definitely very little plot, if anything. Of course, there is deep and sentimental meaning.
I have found when I came at poetry from this angle — especially with young people — that they got on board with it more easily, and put aside the previous judgement. I think, also, that it is particularly good that poetry tends to be short and concise; what needs to be said can be said in a few lines, and with more power. If necessary, it can be one line, fifty lines, or it can be an epic poem — depending on the purpose of the poem, and how much you want to say. and how much you want to say. I feel that, unless length is used as a cornerstone for the structure and purpose of a poem, its meaning can be lost in the length. We can forget what the poem was about, and it was written. I find when poetry is like six stanzas or less, we really can pack a punch.
The most memorable opportunities within the role were attending Mayor-Making , and writing and reading a poem for Queen Elizabeth II and the Platinum Jubilee. Mayor-Making is where the new mayor of, in this case, Stamford Town, is sworn into office (then David Taylor). It is so nice to witness the formality, get to know some of the people you'll be working with a little bit better; within this Scott and I were formally announced to the community. I found that the Mayor-Making particularly hit home what a prestigious role being a Poet Laureate is. As well as being extremely important for the community, it is a duty to encourage the importance of poetry, literature, and writing as a whole.
The Queen's Jubilee was another important event for me — particularly because the Queen has been a constant in my life, and it feels right to play homage to Her Majesty publicly and personally (and partly on behalf of the nation…?). Whatever your views on the Monarchy, it is some achievement to be Head of State for over 70 years; all whilst trying to maintain dignity through changing times. The poem I wrote for the Platinum Jubilee is one I'm most proud of, and therefore I would love to share it with you…
Platinum Jubilee
70 years on the throne,
The Platinum Jubilee,
The longest reign Great Britain has seen.
Born into a lifetime of service,
Her Majesty has maintained her role with dignity.
Queen Elizabeth the Second is her title.
Though times have changed,
The landscape shifted,
She remains strong.
A symbol of hope.
Compassionate.
Consistent.
Leading by example for those who will proceed her,
And for the public eye.
Being born into a life of Privilege,
The public eye watches.
The so-called Woke Brigade picking fault from every angle,
Forgetting her service.
What happened to someone's background
not impacting on their integrity and capabilities?
Where's the compassion that the Queen herself shows?
Being of a younger generation, it's hard to comprehend
The breadth and depth of 70 years.
That's assuming we
stop to reflect,
Swept up by the latest trends,
Or mod-cons, as some justifiably suggest.
But that doesn't mean we disregard it,
We can still appreciate it.
It is my hope that,
with our sense of community,
And coming together in times of need,
Young minds will not take for granted
Her Majesty's service.
I, for one, feel a sense of patriotism
When I picture the Queen holding herself
With dignity and resolve,
A figure of strength, even when times are dark.
A fierce determination that runs through us all.
So take today,
Today of all days,
And the coming weeks,
To reflect,
And to thank Her Majesty for her 70-year-long service.
Written by Daniel Paice
As I have said before, it is a pleasure and honour to have been the Inaugural Youth Poet Laureate of Stamford.
I would like to thank everybody who has supported me throughout the year, particularly Scott Coe, Councillor Yvette Diaz-Munoz, and Karen Burrows of the Stamford Arts Centre — as well as several other council members and organisers of the Stamford Diversity Festival — for supporting my endeavours.
I look forward to seeing what the new Poet Laureates do with their year!
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