A GSAL Salad

Leo Khan – Year 8 Student

A poem by Leo Khan (Year 8), written in the style of renowned poet Benjamin Zephaniah.

Author’s note: Dr. Benjamin Obadiah Iqbal Zephaniah was born and he grew up in Birmingham. He was always writing or even making up poetry but this had nothing to do with school, where poetry meant very little to him. He finished full time education at the age of 13. His poetry is well influenced by the music and poetry of Jamaica. His first proper public performance was in church when he was 10 years old, and by the time he was 15 he had made a strong following in his home town of Handsworth and he gained a reputation as a young poet who was capable of speaking on local and international problems. The poem ‘The British’ by Benjamin Zephaniah uses the metaphor of a recipe to explore multicultural Britain and equality. My poem, ‘A GSAL Salad’, is still in the recipe format, just about how GSAL has been formed (metaphorically and realistically). I was inspired by his emphasis on equality and I have mentioned it a couple of times in my poem. I used it because I think that our school is a great school because of its opportunities and equality. LK

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A GSAL Salad – Makes enough for 2000 or more

First, sprinkle a few local industrialists and some architects, both should be passionate about education, covering the bottom of the bowl.

Then add some scholars, youths and some children to form the main part of the salad.

Pour some care and opportunity into the dressing. Note: do not tolerate bullying from the other ingredients – everyone is equal.

Next, splash some new facilities and resources to the school to make it unique.

Mix in some very professional and well-educated staff for flavouring and excellence.

Combine and put some students on grill to make them do so well. And then turn the heat to the highest.

Pressure cook some of the musicians, sportsmen and women, artists and more, and provide them with a unique, indigo dressing.

Let the grilled students cool and make them settle into classes before giving them some hot chilli-education sauce. Spice is nice!

Add a small library of croutons to the mix to power the students’ education and give some of the staff lead positions and roles to help the salad taste nicer.

Combine the salad’s strengths and aspirations to make a badge to sit on top of all of the ingredients.

Then add a sprinkle of different types of students all from different backgrounds and parts of the world; for unity, freedom, equality, justice and variety.

Please consider all the ingredients to make sure everyone is happy and so that they can BE INSPIRED by other hot, spicy, grilled students.

Make sure that the older ingredients are being influential towards the younger ones and they set a good example in order to compliment the taste of the salad.

Finally, after mixing the hot, grilled students with the other ingredients, expect to see a change in the nature and the taste of the salad all together and you will give equality to all.

Serve with talent, intelligence, smartness, safety and unity with some cubes of education on the side.

Leo Khan