To, Love, Birmingham.

I remember a few years ago, when I wanted to leave Birmingham, move to London because I believed all artists had to be connected to the capital.

Over the years that changed, when I decided to clean my eyes and look at my City through the eyes of a new born baby. I fell in love, with the courage, the creativity, the passion and determination my City had on being its best.

I’ve been involved in Impact HUB as a maker, and everytime I’m in a room with the team I feel so inspired, enthused, and alive. The energy everyone brings and the change they are making for the City is phenomenal.

So after the Launch of Impact HUB, they all trickled down to Urban Coffee Company to enjoy a night of open mic poetry. I arrived late due to another performance I had, walked in and felt the sweat, the heat and the love from every person in that coffee shop.

I shared a poem I wrote, mixed with lines I had before to new lines Anisa Haghdadi helped me with that morning.

I looked at my City once again, through new eyes and here’s what I found:

“I am the customer in coffee shops; where I see founders hang out with poets, where businesses hug creativity, where loyalty cards are stacked in back pockets like teenagers stuffing condoms optimistically hoping to get lucky.

I am a lifeline that hasn’t been lived yet,

I am the young person, who hasn’t spoken,

I am the little boy whose dream has just been broken, again.

I am the poetry that hasn’t been written yet, the stories I want to share but I haven’t lived yet.

I am the ground of Birmingham that shakes when we walk upon it. Our soil knows that the power is with the people. They can, for as long as they want, tell us we’re not the greatest. But we’re in the middle of all greatness.

I am the girl that stopped believing in people until they believed in her and now she believes in everyone.

I am an older me looking back on life saying well done.

I am a death bed of poems I felt weren’t relevant.

I am the street I once upon a time lived on.

I am pigeon park birds trying to find balance on a church.

I am the aftermath of riots that hit my city unexpectedly.

I am behind the change makers of this city, that don’t sit on leather chairs on fancy desks, in a really tall building, they get buses, drink independent coffee, ride bikes to work just to let that Birmingham humble breeze hit them first thing.

I am poetry.

I am the mark of light across my city during Christmas time.

I am the business and the creative.

I am one who made family out of those unrelated.

I am the applause after a performance.

I am the clicks during and the compliments after.

I am not renovating change because it happens naturally. We’re the kind of people that see something missing and fit it with something that exists.

We create platforms for everything and everyone, to feel like they belong somewhere as well as their own skin.

This is impact on everyone.

A hub of inspiration.

We are co-creating BIRMINGHAM.

I am proud I am Birmingham.”

I really am proud of Birmingham and all its achieved. Impact HUB Birmingham just brings everything that we are proud of together, from the shares to the pledges, it all proves the support in this City.

Check out the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/immykaur/epic-brum-making-impact-hub-birmingham-a-reality

Or even visit the space to see it for yourself: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/open-house-at-impact-hub-birmingham-tickets-14845034899

(If you don’t happen to be a Brummie, this I assure you is absolutely fine too! I am sure of the Co-Founders will happily skype you into the space.)

Love,

Amerah

@Voiceofthepoets