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?