Renowned writer, poet, actor and musician Benjamin Zephaniah passed away on 7 December 2023 aged 65 from a brain tumour.
Ealing resident and friend Akuba aka Councillor Grace Quansah, director of Writing Acting & Publishing Project for Youngsters (WAPPY), shares a poem she wrote about his life and impact he made on society.
BZ, My Pen Friend
On 7 December 2023,
At precisely 11.18
Returning home from Bush Library
With my toddler granddaughter
Sound asleep
Retrospectively thankful
She did not hear me shriek,
When I received a WhatsApp text
That left me absolutely bereft…
“Morning family sadly, Benjamin Zephaniah has passed about 3 am this morning.”
Dawning on me, instantaneously
That this was a developing press story
My friend, who messaged, assumed I knew,
Since this headline was now global news.
I cried out to a Rasta brother standing nearby
“Brother Benjamin Zephaniah, the poet, has died.”
“What! No my Sista this can’t be true,”
It was simply unimaginable to construe.
So turning to Google for more information,
The Independent provided this painful confirmation
“Benjamin Zephaniah, pioneering poet and Peaky Blinders star, dies aged 65,”
A fountain of tears escaped from my eyes.
Nearing the end of my journey,
Another passenger who looked like me,
Placed her hand reassuringly on my arm,
In her bid to keep me calm.
Intuitively picking up on my low mood,
She asked, “Is anyone coming to meet you?”
I assured her I could manage ok,
Though telephoned my husband just the same.
Babbling my distress as I called
He was not surprised at all,
Having just seen breaking Sky News Live,
That Brother Benjamin Zephaniah had died.
Trying desperately hard not to weep
With my toddler granddaughter still sound asleep,
I navigated the push chair off the bus,
While thanking those kind travellers who made a fuss.
Before reaching home, another text arrived,
From a councillor colleague who sympathised.
“Hi Grace, I am so sorry to hear about Benjamin,
And send you my love,
What an incredible man x”
How touched I was my councillor colleague
Reached out to me unexpectedly.
Arriving home, with my toddler granddaughter now awake,
Deluding myself this must be a mistake.
That derision ended all too soon
As I entered our living room
To be enveloped by my husband’s arms,
Who tried in vain to keep me calm.
There in front of my flooded eyes,
Broke the News on Sky TV Live
That Brother Benjamin Zephaniah,
The poet, writer, professor, self-Proclaimed “troublemaker” had
Died.
Since that day 7 December 2023,
I’ve spent each day reflecting on BZ’s legacy.
Still trying hard to process this tragedy,
The best way for me is through poetry.
First my deepest condolences I extend,
To Benjamin’s wife, loved ones, fans and friends
Who will be experiencing unimaginable grief,
And a range of emotions, not least disbelief.
I can but offer rhythm in words,
A voice to soothe and to be heard
To share with readers and listeners near and far,
My reasons why I love(d) Brother Benjamin Zephaniah.
Some aspects of our lives are similar,
In infancy writing poetry was my panacea
To help cope with displacement, paternal death, educational underachievement, racist beatings and domestic instability.
I was politically active and published by sixteen.
Loving lyrics, local libraries and literature,
Dub poetry became a powerful educator,
Against the backdrop of riots in Southall and Brixton,
I encountered Zephaniah’s first book, “Pen Rhythm”.
Decades later I learnt from BZ
Exactly why this book marked a watershed,
His rhythm and rhyme, rhetoric and style,
Rejuvenated poetry and made it uniquely versatile.
In the early 80s, when just eighteen,
I was passionately writing all kind of ‘Tings’,
So despite leaving school with 2 GCEs,
I was politically active in Ealing’s community.
Through my friendship with the Alexander family,
Who lived in the Ealing vicinity,
I was introduced to the bookshop of the Huntleys,
Where I devoured the Dub poetry,
Of Linton Quasi-Johnson and Benjamin Zephaniah,
Plus listened to speeches filled with zest and fire.
Similarly, the Callendar family
Introduced me to Mr Willis Wilkie,
An Ealing community champion
Who supported Black children’s education,
By organising supplementary schooling, conferences and cultural events,
Where Brother Ben’s poetry made perfect sense.
So while race riots raged regionally,
BZ revolutionised poetry,
Outside police stations, on demos, dance floors and on TV screens,
He connected with diverse audiences creatively.
Using his unique beat and from the street,
BZ’s lyrics livened up
What was once an exclusively academic feat.
While Brother Ben was writing and fighting
For political campaigns,
And attracting local, national and global acclaim
I continued to develop my poetry
Which helped to soothe me from all kinds of
Personal and challenging calamities
In the 1980s, 1990s and in the Millennium.
Then in March 2007 when the UK marked Abolition,
After submitting a poem in a competition,
Random House Children’s Books with Malorie Blackman
To my surprise ‘The Awakening of Elmina’ won first joint prize,
And I could hardly believe my eyes,
When my poem was published
In Malorie Blackman’s landmark commemorative anthology,
Unheard Voices with writing and fiction including the likes of
Catherine Johnson, Alex Haley, Sandra Agard, John Agard, Grace Nichols, Brother Benjamin, James Berry,
And, yes ‘lil ole me’!
It wasn’t my first published piece,
In fact, I had three in print at just sixteen,
But Willow Poetry was a vanity press,
They ripped me off, so I was not impressed.
I’m so sorry, I digress.
My point is now I knew I was being taken seriously,
That my favourite poet and me were now on the same page
So to speak, literally.
Fast forward to 2009,
My bestie May Whyte
Invited me to Lincoln Book Festival,
Brother Ben’s poetry recitals,
Including ‘Talking Turkeys’ were simply magical,
Apart from being a great host,
He was so entertaining with his anecdotes.
How we laughed and laughed,
When he told his captive listeners
He had to perform in his plant-based slippers,
Having forgotten to pack his animal-free footwear,
Being vegan was a holistic, everyday affair!
Best of all I got to meet him at the end of the show,
When all three of us posed
For a special photo,
I had already sent BZ an email about WAPPY,
So when he suggested I bring our creative posse to see,
Him perform live at the South Bank that July,
No surprise
Twenty of us, comprising young people, families,
Volunteer staff, collaborators, and our esteemed elders, Eric & Jessica Huntley,
Did just that,
And we laugh, mused, absorbed his lyrics and heartily clapped.
A couple of years later,
When I was publishing the poems, prose and art pieces of our WAPPY writers,
I emailed BZ at Brunel University
To see if he would provide a quote for our publicity,
Our first book, ‘Soul of a Child’
I also sent him a digital copy
He responded rather quickly,
“I’ve been reading WAPPY poetry, and I love it. That makes me a bit WAPPY too!”
His quote circulated widely,
I and WAPPY were filled with gratitude.
This landmark watershed
Marked the beginnings of my pen or,
More appropriately ‘email friendship’ with BZ.
From 2011 right through to 2023,
Through email correspondence mainly,
Brother Ben, by invitation,
Would endorse creative projects, political campaigns, and publications,
And offered his philosophy and, reasonings in all kinds of seasons.
Adding his voice to my Save Ealing Libraries petition
In 2018 helped to prevent closures,
Contributing a chapter in WAPPY’s 2018 ACE anthology
Gave the organisation heightened exposure,
Visiting Ealing Central Library to celebrate his 2014 publication, ‘Terror Kid’
And allowing fifteen, youngsters to entertain and interview him,
Reinforced a community love and a lasting youth self-appreciation.
1n 2012 I ran the ‘Haven of Words’
At Keats House in Camden,
When Brother Benjamin was the Poet in Residence,
Out of which, three WAPPY participants,
Had their poems in his ‘Sweet Beats for Keats’ editions.
Apart from encouraging young people to enjoy Spoken and Written Word,
BZ empowered me to write and to be heard.
In 2017, following the tragedy of Grenfell,
My poetry contest submission, ‘Bittersweet Carnival’,
Was anonymously shortlisted by
Brother Benjamin in Hillingdon’s Literary Festival.
I was honoured to see it published in “Ordinary People/Exceptional Lives’
Which I performed at Brunel University with him right by my side!
Through our email conversations
I learnt a bit more about Brother Benjamin.
And appreciated the efforts he made,
Despite being a busy, global sensation,
Like, while in China in 2016,
He sent a poem for my very own wedding!
I too would often send BZ the odd poem or two,
To mark his birthday on the 15th of April,
Even though I knew he didn’t much like his birthdays
He appreciated my messages, that was just his way.
One message sent in the pandemic, cuts really deep,
As I reflect I feel myself weep.
“It is strange how as we get older funerals tend to bring distant members of a family together. But like you, I always say you must make peace with family members,
Because you never know when the last time you’ll see them will be.” June 2020
Of course, Brother Benjamin was so prophetically right,
I, like so many, lacked total insight
Into an unexpected development that left his life so tragically curtailed.
On 7 December 2023, loved ones, families, friends, and fans were forever derailed.
I will always remember BZ, My Beautiful Pen Friend
And give thanks to him for
Bucking the trend,
Through his poetry, prose and political campaigns.
For being a pioneer in Black British culture
And a national treasure.
For his contribution to human rights advocacy,
An indelible legacy,
That will continue to exist in his works left behind,
Because he was truly one of a kind.
For Black History Season 2O24
Ealing’s Central Library opened its doors,
To host a special event once more,
But this time in memory of this special literary mentor.
WAPPY youth, artists, esteemed guests, local councillors, Qian, his wife,
Ealing’s wider community with Akuba,
Celebrated the life and works of Professor Zephaniah,
The poet, writer, professor, self-proclaimed “troublemaker”.
I thank BZ’s beloved wife, Qian, siblings, wider family and friends
For ensuring his revered memory never ever ends.
Akuba 8th December 2024
