Submissions by Lozzamus
POEMS AND SHORT STORIES
Poet Introduction
I compare poetry to painting, believing that I lack any drawing/painting skills but believing my imagination and training in writing has enabled me to transfer my love of visual art to the written word
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 21: An Unlikely Saviour

#violence
#bullying
#memories
#escape
#risk
20 reads
0 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 20: A Drastic Solution?

#bullying
#memories
#risk
17 reads
6 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 19: The Night Of Violence

#bullying
#memories
#risk
16 reads
4 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 18: Into The Fire

#teens
#abuse
#bullying
#memories
#risk
34 reads
8 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 17: The Start Of Real Danger
The first sign of trouble came with the ringing of the front doorbell halfway through a Saturday afternoon. A couple of girls stood there, aged around sixteen or seventeen.
‘Yes, hello?’ I said, frowning.
‘Hi,’ one of them said. ‘We're Jane and Wendy, friends of Nicky’s.’
Their names sounded familiar. Nicky attended the Jewish Youth Club on the corner of the street, but wasn’t Jewish himself.
‘Do you want to come for a cup of tea?’ Jane said.
A flicker of unease. A girl with long ginger hair looking out at me through the front...
‘Yes, hello?’ I said, frowning.
‘Hi,’ one of them said. ‘We're Jane and Wendy, friends of Nicky’s.’
Their names sounded familiar. Nicky attended the Jewish Youth Club on the corner of the street, but wasn’t Jewish himself.
‘Do you want to come for a cup of tea?’ Jane said.
A flicker of unease. A girl with long ginger hair looking out at me through the front...
#teens
#bullying
#memories #risk
#memories #risk
63 reads
8 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 16: Family Strife
Get to bed,’ my father yelled after another row at home.
‘I won’t,’ I said. ‘It’s not even half ten yet. You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not a kid.’
He jumped to his feet, his face white with rage, and I took a step back. Already, the images were playing in my mind…him leaping towards me and grabbing my hair, clenching his fist to strike. I bolted from the room before he could do any of those things and ran up the stairs to my bedroom, his voice booming through the house.
‘Bloody lunatic. One of these days, I’m going to sell that piano of yours and...
‘I won’t,’ I said. ‘It’s not even half ten yet. You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not a kid.’
He jumped to his feet, his face white with rage, and I took a step back. Already, the images were playing in my mind…him leaping towards me and grabbing my hair, clenching his fist to strike. I bolted from the room before he could do any of those things and ran up the stairs to my bedroom, his voice booming through the house.
‘Bloody lunatic. One of these days, I’m going to sell that piano of yours and...
#teens
#family
#memories
69 reads
9 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 15: Rebelling
I started Sixth Form College, studying music, sociology, drama, maths and English, along with piano and cello. By half term, my enthusiasm for study had waned as my new social life took priority, and I soon stopped the cello lessons.
At some point early on, I received my first invitation to a nightclub in the city centre, even though I was only sixteen. I went with a friend. First, we stopped at a city centre pub for a few beers. Then, we made our way to the nightclub.
At the nightclub, the bouncer stared at us. ‘How old are you lads?’
‘Er, eighteen,’ I...
At some point early on, I received my first invitation to a nightclub in the city centre, even though I was only sixteen. I went with a friend. First, we stopped at a city centre pub for a few beers. Then, we made our way to the nightclub.
At the nightclub, the bouncer stared at us. ‘How old are you lads?’
‘Er, eighteen,’ I...
#teens
#religion
#memories #risk
#memories #risk
63 reads
7 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 14: A Trip To France
I achieved modest results in my school exams, along with passes in commerce, music, and religious studies, a merit at grade five piano and a high per cent for my grade five theory of music. I’d need to retake some subjects at Sixth Form college, but at least for now the musical stuff was going to plan.
College beckoned - but before that a holiday abroad. We’d visited Croatia the previous year, spending two nights camping in Salzburg on the way there and back. This time, we would sail to France and camp in Brittany. Before leaving for France, I borrowed a French course from the...
College beckoned - but before that a holiday abroad. We’d visited Croatia the previous year, spending two nights camping in Salzburg on the way there and back. This time, we would sail to France and camp in Brittany. Before leaving for France, I borrowed a French course from the...
#childhood
#family
#memories
68 reads
3 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 13: Obstacles
It’s difficult to imagine that a few spoken sentences could have such a catastrophic effect in the long run - but that’s exactly what happened. For a while, the Jewish Youth club opened up new social opportunities. Discos. Which I enjoyed. But a group of kids came each Sunday and Thursday who had lots of money and behaved in a spoilt manner, judging others less fortunate.
My family wasn't neccessarily poor. However, we weren't affluent enough to be part of that group who flew abroad regularly in the latest designer clothes. In many ways, this didn’t bother me then. I saw enough...
My family wasn't neccessarily poor. However, we weren't affluent enough to be part of that group who flew abroad regularly in the latest designer clothes. In many ways, this didn’t bother me then. I saw enough...
#anxiety
#childhood
#memories #misunderstood
#memories #misunderstood
74 reads
8 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 12: Back In The Community
The move to the new area took place after the summer break, on my first day back at school. More than six years had passed since we'd lived in a Jewish neighbourhood. I was still at the stage where Judaism and the Jewish community meant a lot to me and for the first time since starting at the Jewish High School, I began socialising with others in the evenings.
Sometimes, a few of the guys from my Year would stop by at the house on the way home from school. A group of us took to hanging round a local drugstore in the evenings – much to the annoyance of the owners who eventually...
Sometimes, a few of the guys from my Year would stop by at the house on the way home from school. A group of us took to hanging round a local drugstore in the evenings – much to the annoyance of the owners who eventually...
#childhood
#memories
63 reads
10 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 11: Changes

#childhood
#memories
32 reads
5 Comments
I Escaped, But Only Just - Part 10: Trapped

#childhood
#memories
33 reads
6 Comments
DU Poetry : Submissions by Lozzamus