🔥 BURNIN’ FLAME 🔥 

6. To Be Seen

I was afraid to be seen for years 

Being seen 

Was pretty scary to me

It came from not believing in myself 

Afraid to get things wrong 

Not getting many opportunities

I didn't question it 

I just kept quiet.

I began 

Fading into the back 

It became a place

I got comfortable 

I felt like it was

Where I had to be 

Being told 

I wasn't good enough for years 

Being put on the shelf 

Gathering up the dust 

I felt like I was on 

The outside looking in 

Glazed with the downpour of rain

I felt so cold and so invisible.

I wasn't ready to 

Take the steps forward 

I had a lot of ideas to share, 

But I was too scared 

To be seen 

I just wanted to hide 

Staying at the back 

I wasn't feeling confident to move 

I was caught between the cracks

I didn't feel beautiful 

People were calling me ugly for so long 

That I started to believe it

There's nothing special 

About me, 

That's what I thought.

Feeling doubtful, so fearful 

I found it so hard to breathe 

To find the right words 

To be heard

I felt like I was muted 

To have a voice 

I felt voiceless. 

I’m in a place now

Where being seen isn’t as scary 

As before 

But 

I’m still on that journey.

7. Kindness is Free

Sometimes the world can 

Be dark and lonely 

We need kindness in the world, 

To bright it up

It’s free but I feel that 

People forget that sometimes

Kindness costs nothing, 

So instead of trying to break 

Someone 

Down 

Let's encourage people more. 

If only we would 

Hold out our hands 

To lead people into

Warm arms

To help people feel comfortable

Not fingers 

Pointing out, excluding people 

Making someone feel left out 

If only we would help people more 

Instead of looking for faults, 

Judging the person, 

Insulting and hurting people. 

So let’s 

Try a little 

Kindness shall we?

At the end of the day 

Kindness is free.  

8. London (with Kiki)

Kiki: 

My London is full of happiness

smiling bin men in the morning and bossman making us laugh at his corner shop

strangers in the ends don’t stay strangers for long. 

By the time the term ends, 

groups of baby moms make gangs for themselves. 

My London can be unpredictable

you can see someone today and not see them tomorrow 

the ends could be quiet one minute then full of police the next. 

And the homeless guy down the road changes moods as the weather changes. 

My London is colourful

graffiti laid out like paintings in a gallery 

all telling a different story, all by different people 

it’s not all city like everyone thinks, community gardens and public parks are dotted all around. 

And block designs are more attractive, making the ends look less like a prison

My London can be scary

for people it’s safer to roam around at night but most have the same idea

residue of drunken friends leave traps in the morning.  

Talk to someone the wrong way and you may not see the next day. 

MANNY:

My London is full of happiness, 

From places like:

V&A Museum, 

London Dungeon, London Bridge, London Eye, Madame Tussaud’s, London Zoo, Tate Modern and a lot more.

All these amazing things that people

Around 

The world 

Come to and celebrate with us. 

My London can be frustrating, 

From cancellations and delays on 

Transport to 

Unpredictable weather.

One minute the rays are shining 

To the heavy rain 

Pouring down and coldness

My London is vibrant, 

A lot of different styles and loads of vibes. 

People love all different types of music, 

To 

The way people dress 

Embracing who they are.  

My London is special,

Making these lifelong memories daily. 

Where you can meet up 

With people and head out 

Shall we go down to the pub?

Or go for a rave at the club?

I've been working so hard

Time to let my hair down. 

My London can be tasty,

I love myself some pie and mash, 

Full English,

To a lovely roast dinner 

And so much more.

My London can be busy 

Everyone is always on a speed walk 

No time to talk

But, 

Some people love when the tea is hot

They're always ready for a cuppa. 

My London can be 

Accepting but also scary 

For LGBTQIA+ people. 

Yes London is 

Accepting of people’s sexuality, 

Compared to some other places 

But people are still being 

Hurt here and it's sad to see.

Kiki:

My London, is amazing

every vandalised sign, every graffiti wall

every bando, traphouse, opp block

every morleys, every yardie cuisine

every fox, pigeon and mouse.  

Everything here creates the culture I love

a culture I couldn’t live without. 

MANNY:

This is London

This is my comfort blanket

This is home.

9. BURNIN’ FLAME

I have a burning flame 

That lives deep down inside me 

The kind of ignited feeling 

That 

I’m going to showcase for you all. 

I’m starting to live life to the fullest 

My flame is gleaming and 

Burning so bright

Thank you for

Supporting me and guiding me 

After so many dark and chilly roads 

I travelled down

Tried to blow my fire out 

I fought through the blaze 

And came out on the other side 

I didn't know 

I had this much power living inside me 

Waiting to be free

The biggest thing I learned

Is to try and be brave,

And find the strength 

But sometimes that can be difficult 

I know that 

I'm learning so much more about myself

Seeing all those things 

That was put on the shelf 

Over the years.

Finally loving 

Parts of myself more than ever before

I'm feeling more beautiful 

I continue to do my best

I'll work harder 

I'll keep trying.

Feeling more determined than ever

I'm 

Walking on these hot stepping stones

With a mighty purpose

Like a butterfly 

I’ll be emerging from my cocoon,

And gliding on my rainbow wave 

Bringing peace and harmony

But

I know that there's still a 

Lot for me to learn about the world. 

I'm going to do that slowly 

While I turn up the heat, 

Have fun and 

Discover so much more.

I have a burning flame 

That lives deep down inside me 

The kind of ignited feeling 

That I’m going to showcase for you all.

We all have a burning flame 

That lives deep down inside us

The kind of ignited feeling that 

We should showcase and not hide away.

10. Grow (with Rokat)

Rokat:

I feel sad and excited,

Afraid and happy,

Worried and relaxed,

Opposite ends of the emotional spectrum

Moving parallel in a constant.

That's the effect of change,

An evolution of your life,

The next phase you move on to.

The final frontier,

Or actually the next frontier.

Change,

The only constant 

Yet it still takes you by surprise.

The rise and fall

Of the life you build,

Swept under the tide.

I trust in the unknown,

For in the past it has brought me fortune,

Though there is always the cost of comfort

But then how do we grow?

I have a fear of letting go,

It resonates in everything I do and have,

From movie tickets from my teen years,

Birthday cards in every year,

Concert tickets and club wristbands,

Don't even get me started on things I am a fan of.

But even people I cling to,

Friends and family,

All I hoard around me and when 

The overflow breaks down my house 

I have a sense of loss and peace. 

Change 

The only constant,

Yet we are shocked by it,

The seasons are the same,

And yet I am not prepared for it.

My pride.

MANNY:

I'm feeling happy and gloomy

Fierce and nervous 

Total opposites.

Change can be scary 

I know that 

But it can also be exciting, rewarding and 

It can shock you,

Make you 

Pause for a moment,

Think about things 

I didn’t feel courageous at all 

Everything was cloudy

I was unsure

The yellow brick road 

Might be shining but, 

I was on a dreary grey road

I was not feeling 

Confident to take that bold step ahead 

I kept asking myself 

Am I ready for this?

I've travelled a long journey already 

And a lot of changes have happened

But without changes 

How do we grow?

I now embrace the 

Chapters that have come before 

As it has helped me flourish 

I trust in the unexpected 

As it has delivered me so much 

My pride,

The transformation has been amazing, 

Growing out my exquisite wings 

But the journey so far

Has had many obstacles 

Stopping me in my path, 

Strong freezing current

Knocking me side to side

Heavy fog taking over the place

Nearly making me lose all hope.

I know how scary it can be to start 

Something fresh 

And shift to something new, 

But it can also bring you

Opportunities that you might not even 

Imagine yourself doing.

Rokat:

The transformation is not the hard part,

But the wait before,

The calm before the storm

For in that moment your mind is a tornado 

Of probabilities and chaos.

The what if fantasy 

Causes more harm

Than actual reality. 

So buckle up Dorothy,

And wave farewell to Kansas,

And embrace the technicolor new,

With all forms of colours and hues.

It is inevitable,

Am I prepared?

Pretend to look courageous,

Even if I am scared.

Change,

Is as old as time,

I embrace my truth,

And claim what is mine. 

So let there be fear,

Let there be sorrow,

Because in the philosophy of change,

It will all be gone tomorrow.