Some of you may have noticed St George’s flags sprouting on local lamp-posts, or daubed on mini-roundabouts. Maybe it’s made you angry. Or maybe you haven’t minded, or are even enthused by it. Performance poet Louise Fazackerley – aka Louise Exactly - does mind. She has posted a poem on YouTube titled ‘I Want My Country Back’, which takes aim at the “front face of fascism”, has been shared many times on social media, and has had almost 2,500 views. In her poem Louise, from Wigan, says of some neighbours and old school friends: “I’m worried the direction you’re travelling / leads us to a dead end.”

“So I’ve got the paint out. I’m turning roundabouts into white poppies of peace, I’m turning roundabouts into red poppies of remembrance.

“We all know it’s not about the colour of skins. Bad apples grow in shades of red and pinks.

“Could we turn the volume down on our anger, please? Have a cup of tea tolerance.”

Louise Fazackerley is a BBC New Voices winner, once had a leading role with Write Out Loud, and is still involved in a number of youth-oriented projects for us. She told Wigan Today: “I am astounded at the reaction my poem is having. So many hundreds of messages of support and hope from people who want a peaceful and tolerant country. And messages that break your heart from people who are terrified by the flag epidemic.”

We at Write Out Loud say, Thank you for this, Louise. Thank you for putting into stirring words what so many of us feel.  

NB: We certainly won’t be publishing any pictures of flags on lamp-posts, or of vandalised mini-roundabouts, to accompany this article.

Louise will be performing this poem at Morecambe poetry festival next month. She will also be outside Morecambe library at Write Out Loud’s pop-up pedal-powered tent with local schoolchildren at the festival on Saturday 13 September at 10.00 - 10.45 am, and then hosting an open mic session from 10.45 - 12.00 pm.