Poet of the Week: Damani Dennisur

Damani Dennisur (AKA Tukaiisloveletter) is a first year Ancient History and Archeology student. He is a performance poet and musician from Birmingham and recently competed in the Manchester UniSlam team. He was Young Poet Laureate of Birmingham five years ago, and he's not even 20 yet. 

Boys Don't Cry

Pink is the favourite colour of shadows and sillouettes, hope is the favourite colour of bright eyes and childish dreams We often build statues of the ones that swam in the waters of... All those who came before and write love letters to the cold touch of Steel cages

Tears are for the weak We learnt to wrap our hands in bandages and ride into battle with fists in the air and blood on our teeth Hearts were always disposable Mud always spoke more sense than camomile tea Tears are for the weak Honesty is for the weak

Arrows lodged in the chests of heavy weights never found more comfort in sitting in place Like salt on the wounds of a snail Boys shouldn't get to say how they feel Facts and stats are just, words and numbers. Warriors live to die in battle because fear is for the weak Tears are for the weak

How long can you keep your fist clenched before your palm whimpers in the language of broken spines and lonely ghosts?

How long can you keep your eyes closed before you want to see the world again?