1. This project and its actions were made possible due to co-financing by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals Not my business Structure of the poem Subject:English Age group:12 - 14 Topic:Poems from other cultures EAL Nexus resource Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. © British Council 2014 Source | This resource was originally developed by Zdravka Davies and has been adapted by EAL Nexus.

2. Not my business: 1 st stanza 1.They picked Akanni up one morning 2. Beat him soft like clay 3. And stuffed him down the belly 4. Of a waiting jeep. 5. What business of mine is it 6. So long they don’t take the yam 7. From my savouring mouth?

3. 2 nd stanza 8. They came one night 9. Booted the whole house awake 10. And dragged Danladi out, 11. Then off to a lengthy absence. 12. What business of mine is it 13. So long they don’t take the yam 14. From my savouring mouth?

4. 15. Chinwe went to work one day 16. Only to find her job was gone: 17. No query, no warning, no probe - 18. Just one neat sack for a stainless record. 19. What business of mine is it 20. So long they don’t take the yam 21. From my savouring mouth? 3 rd stanza

5. 21. And then one evening 22. As I sat down to eat my yam 23. A knock on the door froze my hungry hand. 24. The jeep was waiting on my bewildered lawn 25. Waiting, waiting in its usual silence. 4 th stanza

6. The structure of the poem  Describe the structure of the poem  How many stanzas are there?  Does each stanza look similar?  Describe how the writer organises each stanza into two parts

7. What happens? LinesWhat is happening? 1 - 7 The narrator remembers a man called Akanni being beaten up and thrown into a jeep. The narrator ignores what happens. 8 – 14 15 – 21 22 - 26 There are four stanzas in the poem. Do you know what is happening in each one?

8. What happens? LinesWhat is happening? 8 – 14A man called Danladi is dragged out of his home in the middle of the night and taken away. The narrator ignores what happens. 15 – 21A woman called Chinwe discovers that she has been fired for no reason. The narrator says it is not his / her business. 22 - 26One evening as the narrator sits down to eat there is a knock at the door. He / she is terrified as he / she sees the jeep waiting. Compare your answers to these: