Beyond the screen

 BSU alumna Jess Grundy gets real about a life spent online

In 2024, during her third year studying Creative Writing and Publishing at BSU, Jess Grundy was invited to write for milk magazine. With the issue’s theme of ‘reality’ there were many directions she could take her creativity but, staying true to her heart, she contributed a poem: Beyond The Screen.

A few months after graduation, Jess returned to campus as a Graduate Marketing and Events Officer for the School of Design. We caught up with her to discover the story behind her poem.

Reality bites

“When you walk around town, everyone’s looking at their phones,” says Jess. “I thought I’d add my take on that, which led to Beyond The Screen being written.

“Unfortunately, I am one of those people who does look at their phone a lot, which is a little hypocritical of me! But I think this is a poem is also a nod to myself. My family are very not digital, so this [poem also represents] how they perceive the world. Me personally, I’m on my phone a lot for work and seeing what everyone’s up to, and staying up to date with the ‘real world’. So, I guess, this poem is a bit of a confession.”

“I’ve always written poetry, since a young age,” she continues. “My mum bought a big book of poems to read to us at night-time, so I think that’s where it all came from.

“With my poetry now, I’d been experimenting and taking inspiration from the rap scene and incorporating it into my own work, so that it has a lyrical way when reading it. Poetry and rap are intertwined, and I take inspiration from people like Kendrick Lamar; introspective writers who use rap poetry as a way of getting it out. It’s lyrical and deep at the same time. Music and poetry should go hand in hand.”

“Poetry and rap are intertwined; it’s lyrical and deep at the same time. Music and poetry should go hand in hand”

So what’s next, now that Jess has graduated?

“I’m going to stick with poetry, but I feel I’ve lost it a little bit, because I am stuck in the digital world; I think I need to get out and be more present. Hopefully, I can develop the poetry anthology I was working on at Bath Spa and make it into a multimedia project. That would be fun.”

 

It’s easier to be somebody on a screen,

to hide behind our false machine;

they call it a smartphone.

Somehow, we all own one,

headphones on, artificial digitised ‘fun’.

 

They call it: A Day in the Life, a POV, or a desperate Look At Me.

But that isn’t real life,

Nor an ideal life.

 

Why don’t you try locking eyes?

Two strangers’ smiles immortalised,

It might just make their day!

I don’t mean to sound clichéd and it may not be your forté,

But at least they’ll be okay.

 

This is real life!

Standing among the busy crowds,

stopping for a moment to look around,

appreciating a little street culture,

buskers playing soft beats for ya.

 

Whether it’s the regular drummer or the street poet’s wonder

or even the pigeon sitting on the birdman’s shoulder.

This world is a little peculiar,

But it’s wonderful and it’s weird.

So, stop what you are doing,

Take a deep breath in.

Hold it.

 

Do you feel time slowing?

The wind blowing?

Birds crowing?

It’s called the magic of knowing.

This is real life.