A B.A.D. BOROUGH

by Gertcha Cowson

I live in a B.A.D. borough, a B.A.D. borough I have grown to adore, it is a multi-cultural borough, mixed-raced to the core.

I hear all the snooty remarks, spoken with their noses upturned, like our name provokes a rotten smell, akin to old shit that’s ready to be burned.

Yeah! I live in a B.A.D. borough, where hello is said in many tongues, a borough of many faiths, a borough of different songs.

Yet we put up with the dissing of Dagenham and the bitching of Barking, from those who’ve never been here and presume every ignorant thing.

They think we all drag our knuckles and are easily confused by a three syllable word, but if they dare to turn off the A13 they’ll see it’s all absurd.

You will find this B.A.D. borough to be full of art and craft, and not because of gentrification, it’s all from us Working Class.

It is not packed full of Nazis, although like everywhere there’s one or two, but thereare lots of different cultures standing two by two.

We are a borough of languages like Swahili, Polish, Patois and Cockney Rhyming Slang, a place where every language is proudly, loudly sang.

Yes, we are a borough of immigrants with exotic wares and trait, I myself am a B.A.D.borough immigrant for I was born in Forest Gate.

This borough may be one of the poorest, yet it is rich in so many ways, from community spirit, parks, theatre, history and it’s festival days.

So before you do your bitching and dissing of this place I call home, ask yourself what your borough’s like, it’s probably not much different where you’re from.

I live in a B.A.D. borough, a fact I will not hide, cause if there’s one thing this borough has given me, it is civic pride.

Copyright © Gertcha Cowson 2018. All Rights Reserved