Freedom Road

Freedom Road

Simon Armitage and Our Freedom: Then and Now

As part of Our Freedom Then and Now: Wolverhampton in the Second World War, our free family celebration day on Sunday 16 November, we’re joining a nationwide creative project exploring what freedom means – past and present.
At the heart of this movement is Freedom Road, a brand-new poem by Simon Armitage, the UK Poet Laureate, written especially for the campaign.

Freedom Road

A poem by Simon Armitage

If we want to walk along Freedom Road
then away we go.  It’s a slog at times
but look at the views: deserts, the airport, a lake.

On the move, passing through towns and cities
we dance with the locals.  Come as you are,
they say, do as you wish, sing us your dreams.

Or if we decide to stay put, Freedom Road
is our home address.  A neighbour’s washing
flaps in the breeze like hilarious friendly flags;

in the house and over the garden fence we agree
to differ; someone’s grazing a horse on the common
where Freedom Lane becomes Freedom Green.

You can’t dig up freedom like a potato
from the verges of Freedom Way, or pan it
from Freedom Beck like inklings of gold;

it won’t be delivered to Freedom Avenue
gift-wrapped in silver string.  Where it goes unnoticed –
that’s where it exists.  Listen, when people ask

where they can find Freedom Road, we don’t say
turn right by the church, left by the bank,
we stroll where we want and live as we please.

And there it is.