Wood Street First is proud to publish The Wood Street Poem, written by local poet Michael Shann, to mark the Words Over Waltham Forest festival, which runs from this Friday (26 October) until 17 November.

The Wood Street Poem

God’s Own Junkyard, Polski Sklep,
La Dumitrescu, Agombar’s Shoe Shop.

Brother’s Fish Bar, Forsaken Dreams,
The Chair Man, Significant Seams.

Pie and Mash, The Old Artistry,
Colvins, Lancasters, Vintage Vestry.

Café Bonito, Second Nature,
Forest Tandoori, The Viking Store.

Michael explains that the lines are a ‘found poem’ of half-rhyming couplets made up of Wood Street shop names – as locals will doubtless recognise. Michael has lived in Greenway Avenue for the past 8 years and has been a member of Forest Poets for over 3 years. His first collection of poetry was published by the Paekakariki Press on Hoe Street in 2012. He is Chair of the Greenway Avenue Community Play Garden (for the history of this project, see this post from the website of Wood Street First member Tim Gill) and is also on the board of governors of a local school.

Michael’s website is www.michaelshann.com, where he will be promoting Walthamstow based poems for the Words over Waltham Forest Festival.