Swenglish so far, a Poem

Swenglish - so far

I've been a fly on the wall,

a spy in the everyday life

of my friends

The walls between

me and other people

have become thin

like five-pound notes

I’ve shared their

fry-ups and Sunday roasts

their fish ‘n’ chips

and Marmite toast

I’ve read stories to little brats

and battled with wild cats

I’ve cleared up domestic mess

God bless the English

- keep calm and carry on!

I’ve met fussy tea drinkers

and heavy deep thinkers

Mediation and dance

Taking a chance

when quizzing in a pub

surviving the greasy grub

Bubbling and squeaking

I’m sick of toilets

that don’t flush and I blush

like the Setting Sun

when I think of all the fun

conversations I’ve had

in bedrooms and bathrooms

I’ve slept in a caravan

in kitchens and public houses

Cheers! Another pint,

I feel frail after all the real ale

Beer Festivals and Red Tents

I’ve been up on the Downs

for countryside strolls

and lost control

of weeds in gardens

I’ve climbed walls

and I’ve painted walls

I’ve been off the wall

and driven my friends up the wall

One woman nearly slapped me

but I felt more numb

when this guy rubbed my bum

Breaking down the wall

between Sweden and England

I’m  not Swedish, I’m not English

I’m Swenglish!

©Lou Ice 2012

I wrote this poem, looking back on the fifteen weeks I spent with fifteen different people in England this spring and early summer. I've only got a couple of days left of my break that I've spent in and around my hometown Nässjö. On Sunday I move in with the first person in Sweden who lives in Malmö in the South, and later on this autumn I'll go all the way up to Umeå in the North. I'm excited and ready to hit the road again! 

If you want to know more about my project please subscribe to my blog posts by typing in your email address in the box to the right below the "about me" picture. You can read more about my Swenglish project here.

Photo by Adriana Pusha who works for Brighton and Hove TV that are making a documentary about Swenglish.

PÅ SVENSKA