“Love, when you got to be Dis, you got to be Dat”

At a event late last year celebrating older people and their achievements a group of Feel Good Factor service users took part in a poetry workshop and share stories from their childhood and youth.

Through sharing their powerful and inspiring stories of achievement and pride they discovered more about themselves, and each other. One participant said, “I can’t believe how confident I used to be! Remembering those times has made me feel confident again, reminding me of what I once was able to achieve.”

As a group they composed a poem along the theme of older women’s achievements, inspired by speakers including former Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Eileen Taylor. Also in attendance were Alan Lyddiard from Leeds City of Culture, promoting 1001 Stories and Beth Goodwin from Nuffield Health Care who undertook some health checks on the participants.

Read the poem below.

Feel Good Factor

If at first, you don’t succeed
Try and try again
Follow your dreams, and never give up
Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched
For many hands make light work
Better the devil you know
Then the devil you don’t!

“Love, when you got to be Dis, you got to be Dat!”

Don’t mash mi corn!
U Tink say u nice?
Put the wood in the hole!
Are u born in a field
It is going to be a melting pot

“Love, when you got to be Dis, you got to be Dat!”

I come from yellow yam
I come from pumpkin soul
Ima sauerkraut
I come from green fruit
Yorkshire pudding and roast beef
Rice and peas
I come from peat moss
Meat curry and samosas
I come from mother nature

“Love, when you got to be Dis, you got to be Dat”

I come from rose
I come from green
I come from the mountain range
I come from lilies
I come from the wild county
I’m a Georgie from the northeast
I stand on the shoulders of giants
And they were all woman

Love, when you got to be Dis, you got to be Dat!!!