Featured poet – Amander Wellings

7 March 2022

poempoetry

Amander Wellings has kindly shared her poem Change the World with us, and written a little bit about her and her writing journey. Every month we send out a bulletin with arts, culture, and poetry from diverse communities. Sign up now.

My name is Amander Wellings – yes I know it’s a weird spelling, blame my late father. Perhaps he knew I was gender fluid from birth? I have only found that label recently but it explains how I have always been.

I have been a lifelong family carer and  my husband past away in Feb 2020. I still care for my brother who is autistic and learning disabled.

I like many females remain undiagnosed but have autism too and most likely A.D.D both are hard to get diagnosed in females. My neurodiverse brain has always played with words and punned. Words swirling in my head looking for an outlet, driving me crazy. In 2019 I attended a poetry course and got hooked. In 2020 during lockdown newly widowed and alone, I started my public Facebook page Amanders Poems. I have been described as a cross between Pam Ayres and John Cooper Clarke.

This particular poem came straight out of my head and onto the Facebook page fuelled by my hatred of inequalities and bureaucracy. I read this to my good friend Peter Beresford (current Co- Chair of Shaping Our Lives) and he said it was a good one to submit. Sometimes poems only come to life when they are read and I have done some open mic sessions. 

The punctuation may not be perfect nor the rhyme or structure as I said it is straight out of my head via the keyboard into the world of Facebook. Often many fear writing imperfectly, I embrace it. The perfectionist often doesn’t achieve much. I achieve getting my words out there hoping many will follow my page and leave comments. I am fuelled by audience participation. 

Change the World

Yes I want to change the world.
Shake it up skim off the scum that rise to the top.
Allowing enough space and necessities for all.
Allowing some treats too.
Life worth living not bare survival for all.
Yes for all not the few – dream takers, dream breakers, fakers, money makers.
I will no matter how long it takes chip away at bureaucracy.
Move from the place it tries to keep us in.
I want to choose my own place, be valued for my efforts.
Always looking at betterment for all.
Campaigning not restraining.
Out of the box not trapped inside.
Yes so out and proud in a world where there’s no need to hide.
My passion spills over and touches many.
Please spread this contagion to any … like minded individuals.
Together good thoughts and brave ideas can change the world.

Find out more about Amander Wellings on her Facebook page

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Read more blogs from Disabled poets, including Francesca Frawley and David Gilbert.